Chapter 47 Lily Pastry: Lu Xiuyi isn't too bad.
Zhang Zhuangtou hurriedly responded, and seeing that Meng Yu had no further instructions, he turned and left.
Meng Yu looked at the newcomer, raised his hand indifferently, and said, "Are you really not afraid that my actions will damage the reputation of the Marquis of Jiangyang's mansion?"
Lu Xiuyi raised an eyebrow: "What's so scary? Everyone in the capital knows that I severed all ties with the Marquis of Jiangyang's mansion the day I moved out six years ago. Apart from having the title of heir, I have no connection with them whatsoever."
Despite being blood-related to Lu Huaiyuan, he spoke as if it had nothing to do with him, his eyes and brows showing no sign of concern whatsoever.
She could empathize with that feeling.
***
In less than three hours, Meng Yu's method worked. The rumors turned against him, and a barrage of accusations poured into the Marquis of Jiangyang's residence.
Lu Huaiyuan was furious and pointed at Tao Shi, cursing her for not being able to control others and instead bringing shame to the Marquis's mansion.
Tao slumped to the ground, instinctively defending herself: "If my master hadn't told me about the Di Rong envoy's arrival in the capital, I would never have thought of this."
As she was speaking, she seemed to suddenly realize something, and abruptly came to her senses. She stared at him in disbelief, a chilling mockery appearing on her lips: "I was wondering why you rarely mentioned matters of the court to me. So that was your purpose all along, huh!"
Tao sneered, tears welling in her eyes, and staggered to her feet, her face ashen: "If you want to deal with Lu Er, you can deal with him yourself. Don't drag me into this between you and your son. It disgusts me."
Snap!
A crisp slapping sound suddenly rang out.
Lu Huaiyuan's face turned red with anger.
Tao's head lolled to the side from the blow, and she could taste a faint metallic tang of blood in her mouth. She didn't turn around, but just smiled coldly, dragging her weary body toward the door. She lifted her foot and walked out, her elegant skirt trailing on the smooth floor, dark red like blood.
When Shi's mother heard the noise, she rushed over and saw Tao Shi leaning against the wall, slowly dragging herself over. Her hair was disheveled, her left cheek was red, and there was a trace of blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. The heavy and oppressive atmosphere spread from the house to the eaves.
She immediately understood everything, and a throbbing pain threatened to burst her eyes, but she held it back, asking nothing and saying nothing, and simply helped her leave.
Amidst the persistent rumors, Lu Huaiyuan was summoned to the palace.
At the same time, Lu Xiuyi presented evidence of Cui Hao and the tenants who had bullied the villagers to the Chengde Hall. Although Cui Hao had embezzled nearly five thousand taels of silver to Tao Shi every year, Tao Shi had indeed managed the estates in the eastern suburbs in the first place. Even if she had no merit, she had worked hard. In addition, she was Lu Xiuyi's stepmother. Taking these factors into consideration, Emperor Jinghuai only punished her by making her stay at home to reflect on her mistakes for three months. Lu Huaiyuan was punished for not disciplining his wife well, so he was fined half a year's salary. In addition, all the property of Cui Hao and the tenants was converted into cash and distributed to the tenants who had been oppressed by Cui Hao.
Emperor Jinghuai's actions won unanimous praise from the people of Daqi and successfully facilitated the tribute trade with the Di Rong. Emperor Jinghuai was in high spirits and immediately rewarded Meng Yu with several boxes of treasures, but she politely declined, saying that she hoped to convert them into cash to use for disaster relief and helping the people.
Emperor Jinghuai secretly praised him, thus confirming Meng Yu's words.
***
After getting rid of Cui Hao, this cancerous tumor, and with Steward Cao taking care of the affairs of the manor, Meng Yu had some free time. He wanted to invite Ning Sui to meet at Xiazhen Pavilion, but when he inquired, he learned that Ning Sui had left the capital a month ago to suppress bandits in Tongzhou.
Bored, Meng Yu took off her shoes and went to play in the water by the pond: "I was wondering why she hasn't come to congratulate me even though I've been married for so long?"
Huaiyin dismissed everyone around her, and upon hearing this, she curled her lip and said, "Congratulations, indeed. If Miss Ning knew that the young lady was tricked into marrying the young master in place of her, it would be abnormal if she didn't bring over a big knife."
Meng Yu was amused.
It was already September, the golden autumn season. A gentle breeze, carrying a hint of dampness, brushed against her face. She raised her chin, closed her eyes, and carefully felt the breeze caressing her face.
After finishing his military affairs, Lu Xiuyi did not return to his residence until the afternoon. As soon as he entered the gate, Steward Cao came to report that Prince Rui had arrived and was waiting in the front hall.
Lu Xiuyi was slightly surprised, but it was also within his expectations.
Since returning from Yuezhou, he has repeatedly refused Prince Rui's overt and covert invitations to meet. He even returned the jade carving screen that Prince Rui had given him as a wedding gift, citing its excessive value. The meaning behind this was quite obvious.
Upon arriving at the front hall, Prince Rui was just picking up his teacup and taking a sip. Seeing him step in, he didn't get up, but gave a forced smile: "Ziye has been very busy lately, so it's really difficult for me to see you."
Lu Xiuyi cupped his hands in a salute, then straightened up: "I was unaware of Your Highness's arrival. I have failed to greet you properly. Is Your Highness here to give you important instructions?"
Snap!
Prince Rui put the lid on the teapot and smiled faintly: "It's nothing serious, I just had nothing to do, so I came to see Ziye."
Unable to guess the purpose of Prince Rui's visit, Lu Xiuyi played a game of cat and mouse with him, exchanging a few perfunctory words before getting up to leave.
As soon as the two stepped out, Ying Congxin, who had come from the backyard, bumped into Prince Rui. She was so shocked that she covered her forehead and took two steps back. Lu Xiuyi said softly, "What are you doing here? You've offended His Highness."
A faint fragrance wafted towards them. Prince Rui reached out to support Ying Congxin but missed. Before Ying Congxin could speak, he laughed nonchalantly, "It's alright. I suppose this young lady didn't do it on purpose."
Ying Congxin bowed her head and said, "General, it was because Madam Zhuang saw that you had been working hard these past few days and had not had a good appetite, so she wanted to make you a pot of hawthorn paste herself. But she didn't have enough hawthorn, so Madam Zhuang sent me to ask Steward Cao to get some from the storeroom."
This statement is impeccable.
Prince Rui's gaze seemed to linger on the departing figure, and he said jokingly, "I've heard that Ziye's residence is filled with beauties, and seeing it today, I can confirm it's true. This young lady is gentle and charming; she must be very meticulous in her work. I'm currently lacking such a thoughtful maidservant. I wonder if Ziye would be willing to offer her up?"
Understanding the meaning behind Prince Rui's words, Lu Xiuyi politely declined: "I'm afraid Your Highness will be disappointed. She is a servant of Madam Zhuang and has been with her for a long time. She is the only one who knows Madam Zhuang's preferences. If she is not there, Madam Zhuang will not be at ease. She is old now and in poor health. Even I dare not disobey her."
Prince Rui's smile faded, and he looked at him coldly.
Lu Xiuyi lowered his eyes slightly, avoiding direct eye contact with him.
“It’s good that Ziye is filial, but you, a dignified General of Huaihua, shouldn’t be manipulated by a mere servant,” Prince Rui sneered. “There are plenty of gentle and virtuous women in the world. Do you think I can’t accomplish anything without her?”
"I imagine there are countless people begging to enter Prince Rui's residence, so losing one won't make a difference," Lu Xiuyi replied calmly, his spine remaining unyielding.
Prince Rui snorted coldly, gouged out his eyes, and turned away.
Unexpectedly, when Lu Xiuyi politely declined Prince Rui's offer, it was overheard by a servant who was familiar with Ying Congxin. He immediately relayed this to Ying Congxin.
Ying Congxin was overjoyed upon hearing this, thinking that Lu Xiuyi had developed feelings for her. In an instant, her heart, which had been extinguished, was rekindled.
***
After seeing Prince Rui off, Lu Xiuyi was filled with restlessness. He immediately thought of Meng Yu, her crescent-shaped eyes, her silent laughter, and her nimble fingers gesturing in the air. He rushed to the backyard without stopping.
After passing through the covered walkway and the moon gate, the sound of splashing water drifted into my ears from afar.
The banana leaves were large and thick, with some gaps peeking through them. Lu Xiuyi looked through the gaps and saw Meng Yu sitting on a rock, her eyes closed and her head slightly raised. The bright sun shone on her fair and jade-like face. Her skirt was lifted to her knees and her sleeves were rolled up to her shoulders, revealing her fair and delicate skin without any cover in the sunlight.
Although it was in the inner quarters, and no servants would dare to enter except for him, she was incredibly bold to do it in broad daylight.
Even though there was no one else around except her personal maid Huaiyin, Lu Xiuyi still couldn't help but feel a little jealous.
Before he could think it over, he had already stepped forward. However, the two servants, who were playing in the water, were so engrossed that they didn't notice his approach for a long time.
Lu Xiuyi was even angrier.
As a personal maid, Huaiyin was so careless. If someone were to come, wouldn't they see Meng Yu completely naked?
He clenched his fist somewhat awkwardly, then coughed lightly to his lips: "Cough cough..."
The two women, who were playing in the water, were startled by the sound and turned around to see Lu Xiuyi standing behind them with a stern face.
Huaiyin was startled and hurriedly reached out to help Mengyu up, but her hands were wet and slippery. Before Mengyu could bend down and stand up, she slipped her hand away.
"Yu'er..."
Lu Xiuyi suddenly shouted.
Before Huaiyin could see what was happening, she felt a gust of wind sweep past her side as she let go of the object.
Bang!
Water splashed up behind her, the icy water instantly seeping into her clothes and soaking her back. Huaiyin paused for a moment, then quickly turned around.
Lu Xiuyi was holding Meng Yu tightly around the waist when they returned to the shore in the blink of an eye.
The pool was quite deep, and Meng Yu couldn't swim. Fortunately, Lu Xiuyi rescued her in time; she only swallowed a few mouthfuls of water and was otherwise unharmed.
***
A charcoal brazier was lit inside the room. Meng Yu sat cross-legged on the couch, holding a cup of hot tea in his hand. The warmth seeped into the cup and flowed from his palm into his limbs and bones.
The entire room was deathly silent, the air seemed to freeze, and only she and Lu Xiuyi were in the room. Meng Yu was getting tired of sitting and wanted to put down her teacup and stretch her back, but when she looked across at him, she saw that his face was as cold as if covered with a layer of snow, and she hurriedly and awkwardly withdrew her foot.
Lu Xiuyi originally intended to severely punish Huaiyin, but she pleaded with him and made various promises, which finally convinced him to spare her this time. Now that he was in a fit of anger, Meng Yu did not want to act rashly, lest she cause trouble.
After an unknown amount of time, the person opposite her suddenly stood up angrily and walked in front of her. Meng Yu thought that Lu Xiuyi was about to punish her, so her hand unconsciously reached for the pillow, thinking that if he made any move, she could use it to block him.
Are you hungry?
Unexpectedly, he suddenly said this. Meng Yu shook her head, then realized something was wrong and quickly nodded.
Not understanding what she meant, Lu Xiuyi frowned and asked, "Are you hungry or not?"
Meng Yu pulled her hand back and raised it: "I'm hungry."
"Then I'll have someone bring the meal."
He turned to leave, but his clothes were tugged at. He turned around and saw Meng Yu raising her hand: "I don't want to eat. I want to eat Xun Man Lou's lily pastry."
"You have too many demands." Lu Xiuyi frowned and gave her a disdainful look, but then turned around and ordered someone to go to Xunmanlou to buy it immediately.
Less than half an hour later, the servant rushed back and forth, saying that the lily pastries at Xunmanlou were sold out. The cook in the outlying mansion who made pastries happened to be on holiday today, and the other cooks were not good at making this.
Lu Xiuyi thought for a moment, then went to the kitchen, put on his shirt, and prepared to do it himself.
The cooks were all ushered outside. Everyone was stunned and looked at each other in bewilderment. When they asked, they learned that the lady wanted to eat lily pastries, but unfortunately, Xunmanlou was sold out.
Everyone was secretly puzzled.
I never expected the general to be so doting on his wife.
Knowing that Lu Xiuyi was making lily pastries, Meng Yu hugged his pillow and immediately wanted to lie down and sleep. It would be strange if a rich young master who was used to having everything done for him could make lily pastries.
The room was warm, but Meng Yu, who always wanted to cool off, hadn't changed her jade mat yet. She lay down wearing only a thin quilt, and because she hadn't taken a nap, she fell into a drowsy sleep as soon as she touched the bed.
When I woke up, the sky was dark and the room was pitch black. There were no lights on. The door was ajar, and a little orange light from under the eaves seeped in through the crack and spread straight to the bottom of the table.
Using the light, Meng Yu looked out through the thin curtains. The man had his hands cupped on the table, his face turned toward her, his eyes closed, and his head rested in his arms.
A hazy light bathed his broad back, and on the table were lily pastries that had already been made. The lily pastries resembled a blooming lotus flower, with golden and crisp leaves.
She suddenly remembered how she had almost drowned that day, and the inexplicable sense of peace that welled up when he caught her around the waist.
Lu Xiuyi isn't too bad.
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