The news that Lu Yao hanged herself scared Lu Song and Yao Shu so much that they ran to Lu Yao's yard without saying a word.
Yao Shu could hear the maid's heart-wrenching cries from a distance, and he couldn't hold back his emotions. He rushed into the yard before Lu Song and pushed open the door. But just as he rushed and pushed, Yao Shu's steps suddenly stopped, and he stared at the scene in front of him, his face instantly reddened to the root of his neck.
At the same time, the maids in the room screamed in unison, which made Yao Shu turn around quickly and look back.
Lu Song came in later. At this time, the maids had already protected Lu Yao. Lu Song was puzzled and asked, "What happened?"
A maid knelt down in front of Lu Song and cried, telling him: "Young lady was upset and sent us out. We thought she just wanted to be alone, but we didn't expect that she would commit suicide. Master, when we carried the young lady down, there were red marks on her neck. She was about to choke. We undressed her to help her breathe. After a lot of effort, she finally breathed, but..." The maid looked at Yao Shu and said aggrievedly: "But this young master saw what happened just now!"
Lu Song thought something serious had happened, and when he heard this, he quickly waved his hand and said, "Don't make a fuss. This is the eldest son of the Yao family. He is the one who is engaged to Yao'er and will be married soon. He is not an outsider."
"This..." The maid said in embarrassment: "But Master, if this word gets out... Miss can't afford to lose face!"
When Lu Song heard this, his heart moved, and he looked at Lu Yao again, but he saw that the maid had covered her clothes. There was indeed a red mark under her neck, but it was not serious and could not be seen without careful observation. But Lu Yao's eyes were on Yao Shu, and he immediately reacted, and then turned around and asked Yao Shu: "My dear nephew, did you see anything just now?"
Yao Shu said solemnly, "Uncle Lu, don't worry. I am a man who will not tell lies or be irresponsible. Yao'er is my wife-to-be. It is God's will that I saw this scene today." He turned back and said to Lu Yao, "Yao'er, I may not be able to give you a heavy betrothal gift like the royal family, nor can I give you a luxurious wedding ceremony like the princes and grandchildren. But Yao'er, I, Yao Shu, promise you on the reputation of the Yao family that you and I will never postpone our wedding. The wedding date will be the date, and no one can change it. It is true that I must be responsible for what happened today, but I, Yao Shu, am willing to marry you, not just because of the situation. I hope you are also willing to marry me, and always be the simple and beautiful woman when we first met. Don't worry, I have already made an agreement with my cousin from the Feng family, and she will no longer oppose our marriage. Yao'er, don't think too much. No matter what happens, I am on your side."
These words made Lu Yao burst into tears and Lu Song nodded frequently. The father and daughter looked at each other with mixed thoughts in their minds, and they both saw the word "rest assured" in each other's eyes.
Yao Shu's visit this time undoubtedly gave the Lu family a reassurance. Lu Song comforted Lu Yao and lifted her house arrest, then personally saw Yao Shu off.
Lu Yao was helped back to the couch by the maid, and when the servant's door was closed, a sneer appeared on her lips. She raised her hand to rub her neck and cried out, "It hurts."
Chun Tao, the maid beside her, said quickly, "Miss, please be patient. If you don't do it sincerely, how can Master Yao believe it? Even the master may not be able to pass it."
Lu Yao snorted coldly, "What's there to be afraid of the master? He knows very well that my hanging is fake. He sent me to the Yao Mansion just to use me as a pawn. He wants to use the relationship between the Yao family and the Ninth Prince to protect his future position. So father must help me. This marriage must be completed no matter what." She said with a smug smile, "You see, Yao Shu was not subdued by me obediently. So, in this world, there is no man who cannot be subdued. It depends on what means a woman is willing to use."
Chun Tao nodded and praised, "Young lady, you are really smart. When you marry into the Yao family in the future, the Lu family will still rely on you. No matter how proud the Third Young Lady is, she is just showing off in her natal family. Young lady, you are the foundation of the Lu family."
When mentioning Lu Yan, the third daughter of the Lu family, Lu Yao's eyes became even colder. That younger sister, who was also a legitimate daughter like her, was really annoying!
She hated Lu Yan, but Lu Yan also disliked Lu Yao. She had sent people to Phoenix Pavilion to destroy Lu Yao's jewelry because she wanted to add fuel to the fire in front of Princess Ji'an. It would be best if she could piss off Princess Ji'an and disrupt the marriage.
Unfortunately, her wishful thinking was wrong, and Lu Yao's marriage was made more stable by today's incident. Lu Yan leaned on the pillar of the corridor and looked at Lu Yao's yard, clenching her fists in hatred.
"What a good trick." Lu Yan narrowed her eyes and looked forward, murmuring: "It doesn't matter. The final victory of this game is not whether you can marry into the Yao Mansion, nor whether I can marry King Sheng. The final decision depends on who will eventually win the Dashun Dynasty. My dear sister, you must know that what is being competed now is not women, but men!"
The Lu family got Yao Shu's guarantee, and they finally put their minds at ease. The Yao family also began to make intensive arrangements for Yao Shu's marriage.
The Yao family has always been quite democratic. Apart from the rule set by Yao Xian in the past that "men cannot take concubines, and women cannot be concubines", the Yao family has always respected the opinions of the younger generation in marriage. For example, in the case of Yao Shu and Lu Yao's marriage, even if Lu Song had asked the emperor many times, and even if the emperor had mentioned this to Yao Xian, if Yao Shu did not agree, Yao Xian could definitely find a way to turn it down.
But because Yao Shu agreed, the Yao family chose to respect the child's opinion. As long as he recognized her, the Yao family would recognize her. However, they didn't know that this recognition would lead to a daughter-in-law that would make them regret for half their lives.
"Miss, are you still worried about the young master of the Yao family?" At night, Feng Yuheng sat on the kang, leaning against the window and unwilling to go to sleep. Wang Chuan saw that she was really not sleepy, so he simply brewed a light jasmine tea to accompany her and talk.
Speaking of Yao Shu, Feng Yuheng was helpless. "He wanted to do it himself. What else can I say? I'm just worried about Grandpa. It's good that Lu Yao knows how to restrain herself after entering the mansion. If she continues to stir up trouble, Grandpa is old and won't be able to withstand her anger. That's all—" She waved her hand. "In the final analysis, it's a matter for the future. I can't sleep tonight because of this."
"Why is that?" Wang Chuan was puzzled. "Is there something else that bothers Miss?"
Feng Yuheng frowned, looking hesitant, and said after a while: "I can't really explain it, I just feel anxious, and I always feel like something is going to happen, but I can't think of what it will be. I feel a lump in my heart, and I can't calm it down, and I can't let it go."
Wang Chuan pushed the half-cooled jasmine tea towards her and said, "This kind of tea tastes best when it is cooled to this temperature. Jasmine can reduce internal heat, so please have some, young lady."
Feng Yuheng picked up the teacup and brought it to his mouth, but he couldn't drink it. What could have happened?
Tonight was a sunny and cloudy night. Originally, we could see the bright moon in the sky, but it was covered by dark clouds after a while. In the palace, all the palaces and courtyards closed their doors and turned off the lights early. The emperor had not been to the harem for more than 20 years, and the concubines had become accustomed to this routine and no longer had any expectations in their hearts.
On the alley, a palace servant was holding a dim lantern and walking hurriedly. A woman in a cloak and a hat followed the servant, looking around as she walked. Fortunately, this alley was usually very quiet. Because the emperor was not coming, even the imperial guards relaxed their guards. At this moment, there was no one else except the two of them.
The two of them walked straight to the gate of a palace and stopped. There was a little palace maid waiting in front of the gate. When she saw people coming, she quickly pushed open the gate and led the people in.
This is Yongning Palace. There is no main seat in the palace, only a noble lady lives there. When the noble lady saw the visitor, she bowed and said, "Greetings to the Concubine Shu."
The person who came was Concubine Yuan Shu!
The two of them sat down. Concubine Yuan Shu looked at the woman who was younger than herself but already looked old, and sighed and shook her head, saying, "What a pity! In terms of beauty, Concubine Jing was the best in the palace back then. What a pity! You were born at the wrong time. Concubine Yun was taken back by the emperor the second year after you entered the palace. You didn't even have time to get pregnant with a boy or a girl, and you didn't have time to advance your status. You were left in the harem like this, wasting more than 20 years. What a sin!"
Yuan Shufei's sigh was like brushing Jing Guiren's past years with a barbed brush, causing her to be covered in wounds. Jing Guiren's lips trembled, and a sweet and fishy smell was about to surge into her throat, but she suppressed it with force. She smiled bitterly, "Yes, after all, I am not as lucky as Sister Shufei. No matter what, I still have a son. Sometimes I think that even having a daughter would be good, but girls in the Dashun Dynasty are harder to find than boys."
Concubine Yuan Shu looked at Concubine Jing, a trace of viciousness flashed in her eyes, "Sister, do you want to live like this for the rest of your life? You have lived in the deep palace for a long time, with no hope in your heart. In this small palace, even if you count the blue brick grids every day, you should have counted all these years. You are about to turn gray, are you going to accept your fate?"
Noble Lady Jing was puzzled. "What can you do if you don't accept your fate? There have been concubines who have had affairs with guards over the years, and all of them were torn to pieces by five horses. Could it be that Sister has such thoughts in mind?"
Concubine Yuan Shu shook her head. "Just like you said, I still have a son, how could I have other ideas? I feel sorry for my sister and want to find a way out for her."
"What do you mean, sister?" Concubine Jing was suspicious. "During the day, a palace servant came to report that you would come tonight, but I can't guess what you are here for."
Yuan Shu covered her mouth and chuckled, "Yes! You and I have no contact on weekdays. I came to visit you suddenly, and you don't believe anything I say. But this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I won't hide it from my sister. The reason I chose you is because you have an older brother who walks in the palace. And he is the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard tonight."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
