Chapter 54 A banquet was held for all the officials to greet your brother, Your Excellency.
"Your Highness, and Lord Shuqing, it was Hengwu from Lu Shifu's courtyard who just came to see Lu Cai."
“They noticed the amount of grain allocated to the courtyard had decreased, and suspected that the captives were embezzling it,” said Eunuch Liu.
These words sounded as if the servants in Lu Lingyue's courtyard were making a fuss over nothing.
However, Yuan Yan ignored him and turned to look at Hengwu on the ground. "You said it was as Eunuch Liu said."
Hengwu: "Recently, the allowances for serving the husbands have been reduced. Today's lunch was just watery soup, and the dishes were so bad that even the barbarians couldn't stand it, which is why the incident just happened. I did not mean to cause a disturbance here, and I hope Your Highness will understand."
Let's go back to lunchtime.
The male servant, Qinghe, carried the food box back to the side courtyard.
Hengwu lifted the lid of the box and took a look. Upon seeing the food inside, her expression immediately turned grim.
"What happened to Hengwu?"
Inside the room, Lu Lingyue noticed that it was a bit quiet outside, so she asked aloud.
"Young master, it's alright. Perhaps the lunch was delivered to the wrong place today. I'll go and urge them again."
Hengwu couldn't bear to tell her master the truth, thinking that she would go to the kitchen to argue with him later, and was still trying to cover it up.
However, such a clumsy lie could not possibly fool Lu Lingyue.
He immediately guessed that there was a problem with lunch just by hearing that.
Lu Lingyue simply said, "Hengwu, bring the food over."
Hengwu couldn't dissuade him, so she had no choice but to do as he said.
Seeing that several dishes were missing from the food box and that the food was not as good as before, Lu Lingyue knew exactly what was going on.
It was likely that the people in the Prince's mansion noticed that Yuan Yan hadn't visited the side courtyard for a long time, and they felt that he had fallen out of favor, so they secretly began to reduce his allowance.
But Lu Lingyue said nothing, glanced at the food indifferently, picked up her silver chopsticks, and was about to start eating.
"Young master, they're bullying us too much! How can you eat food like this..."
Seeing this, Hengwu couldn't help but feel sorry for the young master.
When the young master was in the Lu family, he had never suffered such hardship. Even when he was a servant in the Lu family, the food he received was better than what he was eating now.
This is hardly food for their masters; it's clearly someone taking this opportunity to humiliate them.
"It's alright, I can't eat much anyway, I'll just eat whatever's available."
Lu Lingyue knew in his heart that this was the consequence of his choice of this path. No matter where he was, if he didn't compete for favor in the inner quarters, this would be his fate.
“Master, they’ve all started bullying us… If we keep tolerating this, those opportunistic scoundrels will only go further and further.”
Hengwu became increasingly agitated as she spoke, her righteous indignation barely contained. "No, the barbarian must go and tell His Highness about this."
As he spoke, he tried to leave.
“Hengwu, come back… If you still consider me your master, you are not allowed to go to her.”
When Lu Lingyue heard that Hengwu wanted to see Yuan Yan, she immediately stopped him in a low voice.
That day, Yuan Yan was drunk. When he woke up and found himself in a secluded courtyard, he immediately got up and left, not wanting to stay there for even a moment longer, as if he were some kind of monster.
This display of disgust chilled Lu Lingyue's heart completely.
If Yuan Yan doesn't want to see him, why should he go out of his way to get in Yuan Yan's way?
"Young Master..."
Hengwu knew that Lu Lingyue didn't want him to go to Prince Qin. He hesitated, but hearing Lu Lingyue's resolute words, he could only reluctantly hold back for the time being.
However, a loyal servant like Hengwu would naturally not stand by and watch her young master be bullied.
Seeing that Lu Lingyue wouldn't let him tell Yuan Yan about this, Hengwu had no choice but to secretly go to Eunuch Liu to argue with him, keeping it a secret from the young master.
Unexpectedly, His Highness was dining at Shen Shuqing's place that day. Hengwu and Eunuch Liu's argument got a little too loud, and the matter was brought before Yuan Yan.
At that moment, upon hearing Hengwu's accusations, Eunuch Liu immediately began to defend himself.
"Your Highness, that's not the case!"
"The number of dishes served to Attendant Lu has indeed decreased recently. But that's because His Highness previously dined in the side courtyard, so the kitchen prepared meals according to His Highness's rations..."
"Now that His Highness has not yet arrived at the side courtyard, the meals have naturally returned to the original rations for the servants. These two dishes and two bowls are the servants' share. Lu Cai and the others are all acting in accordance with the rules of the Prince's Palace and have absolutely not skimped on the portions."
Liu Gonggong looked completely honest and kept swearing, his expression making one wonder if he had been wronged.
"You're talking nonsense... Even if two dishes and two bowls are normal, what about the food? It's so bad, even worse than what we captives eat. This is not the rations a master should receive. How do you explain this!"
Hengwu was not fooled by him and immediately pointed out the problem with the dishes.
Of course, Eunuch Liu wouldn't admit it: "This is how the dishes are served according to the rules. The side courtyard can't wrongly accuse the enemy just because they don't like the food in the main kitchen!"
After listening to the confrontation between the two, Yuan Yan had already made his judgment.
"Go and check the meals prepared for today in the side courtyard," she ordered the servant behind her.
The attendant accepted the order and left.
Liu Gonggong fell silent, lowering his head even further.
However, during this waiting period, a servant in the courtyard reported, "Your Highness, Attendant Lu requests an audience."
It turned out that Lu Lingyue discovered Hengwu was missing and asked the other male servants, only to learn that Hengwu had gone to see Eunuch Liu.
Fearing something might happen to Hengwu, he dropped what he was doing and rushed over immediately.
When Shen Lianzhou heard that Lu Lingyue had arrived, she couldn't help but glance at the prince's expression.
"Let him in," Yuan Yan said expressionlessly.
When Lu Lingyue entered, the first person she saw was Yuan Yan, who sat at the head of the table.
She was completely different from her drunken self that day. Now, dressed in red, she exuded nobility and majesty, her phoenix eyes slightly upturned as she stared at him indifferently.
For some reason, Lu Lingyue's heart ached slightly for a moment, and a tingling sensation spread through her blood.
He withdrew his gaze and bowed respectfully to Yuan Yan and Shen Lianzhou respectively.
“Lord Lu, you’ve come at the right time. Eunuch Liu and the male servants in your courtyard were arguing over the distribution of meals. His Highness heard about it and summoned the two of them to come and discuss the matter,” Shen Lianzhou said.
"It was my fault for not disciplining the servants properly, which led to their offense against His Highness and the junior officials," Lu Lingyue said immediately, understanding the implication in Shen Lianzhou's words.
"Hengwu has made a mistake, so I will take him back and admonish him."
Lu Lingyue didn't want Hengwu to be punished for breaking the rules, and his purpose in coming here was to protect Hengwu and bring him back safely. Therefore, he took the initiative to admit his mistake and made a gesture of humility.
"What's the rush?" Yuan Yan unexpectedly spoke up at this moment.
"I have already sent people to investigate the matter of the meals. Lu Lingyue, since you are here, stay and listen in."
"So eager to take him away? Do you think I'm such a person who can't distinguish right from wrong?" Yuan Yan looked at him with displeasure.
"This humble man dares not." Lu Lingyue looked at Yuan Yan's expression, her heart aching even more, and turned her eyes away.
Left with no other choice, he could only sit down on the other side of Yuan Yan's empty seat.
Yuan Yan sat in the center, with Chen Lianzhou and Lu Lingyue on his left and right respectively.
The three of them sat in one room, but the atmosphere became cold and tense, far less harmonious than when Yuan Yan and Shen Lianzhou were together.
Yuan Yan was completely speechless because of Lu Lingyue's attitude since entering the manor, coupled with her indifferent behavior when she was drunk that time. Her expression was even more indifferent than Lu Lingyue's.
This was also the first time that Shen Lianzhou had personally witnessed Yuan Yan and Lu Lingyue's interactions.
He discovered that the relationship between Yuan Yan and Lu Lingyue was actually worse than he had imagined.
"Your Highness must be thirsty. Have some tea to soothe your throat."
Shen Lianzhou took the tea from Yu Lu and offered it to Yuan Yan.
Yuan Yan took a sip of the warm tea, and her expression softened slightly. "Lian Zhou is very thoughtful."
Lu Lingyue watched from the side and realized that he hadn't seen Yuan Yan show even a hint of joy in his presence for a long time. It seemed that Yuan Yan was more comfortable with anyone else than with him.
"..." Lu Lingyue fell silent for a moment, her eyes lowered, her mind lost in thought.
Fortunately, this situation did not last long.
The attendant returned quickly and presented the evidence on the spot.
Yuan Yan glanced at the remaining food in the food box, then looked up and tossed the food box in front of Eunuch Liu.
"Eunuch Liu, is this what you call normal food?" she scoffed.
"I had no idea that things in my Qin Prince's Mansion had become so difficult."
“Your Highness, please calm down. I did this because I care about you! Lu Shifu treated you so badly before. Now that he has entered the palace, His Majesty has personally demoted him to a servant. Why should he be allowed to live a comfortable life in the palace?”
“A man as disloyal to His Highness as him should be dragged out… mmm…”
Before Eunuch Liu could finish speaking, Yuan Yan gave him a look, signaling the guards to stop him.
“Even if Lu Shifu is the worst, he is still a master of the Prince’s mansion. You, a servant, deducted your master’s allowance and even tried to shift the blame onto Lu Shifu. Who gave you the audacity to do such a thing?”
Yuan Yan wasn't buying it at all.
One thing at a time, the discord between Lu Lingyue and her is a private matter between the two of them. It's illogical for Eunuch Liu to blame Lu Lingyue for embezzling from the Prince's residence.
It seems that the interior of this prince's mansion needs a thorough overhaul.
"Considering you are a veteran of the Prince's mansion and have worked diligently for it for many years, I will not punish you. Eunuch Liu is old and senile; from now on, you may move to the Prince's mansion villa to live out your days," Yuan Yan said.
Eunuch Liu was taken away by the guards.
Seeing how decisively she dealt with Eunuch Liu, upholding justice for him and Hengwu, and showing no regard for past favors to protect the old servant, Lu Lingyue felt a mix of emotions, her feelings difficult to describe.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Hengwu immediately kowtowed to express her gratitude.
After today's events and His Highness's fair judgment, it's likely that no servant will dare to bully his young master in the Prince's residence again.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for clearing up the truth between me and Hengwu." Lu Lingyue rarely took the initiative to speak up and thank Yuan Yan.
"If you want to thank someone, thank your servant. He is extremely loyal and risked punishment to stand up for his master. His loyalty is commendable," Yuan Yan said without any emotion.
This businesslike attitude left Lu Lingyue speechless.
This was clearly the outcome he had hoped for, but Lu Lingyue's heart felt inexplicably heavy at this moment, and she couldn't feel relaxed at all.
As she left the courtyard, Lu Lingyue glanced back.
From afar, they saw Yuan Yan and Shen Lianzhou sitting side by side, talking intimately.
Perhaps this is what a normal relationship between a wife and servant should look like; what happened between him and Yuan Yan could only be described as mutual torment.
A bitter feeling surged up from the bottom of my heart, layer by layer.
After Lu Lingyue left, Yuan Yan ordered a thorough investigation of the Prince's residence, uncovering several servants who, like Eunuch Liu, had abused their power for personal gain.
These people grew bolder and committed these acts because Yuan Yan had not yet married a proper minister and had no one to manage the Prince's residence. They thought no one would find out, but today they were implicated by Eunuch Liu and were completely wiped out by Yuan Yan.
Yuan Yan dealt with them one by one.
For a time, discipline was strictly enforced throughout the Prince's Mansion, and the atmosphere became much more orderly.
These days, Yang Lingyi is under strict control and has difficulty leaving the mansion, so Yuan Yan and he have switched to corresponding by letter.
Although they could not meet, they never stopped exchanging letters, and their feelings for each other were as enduring as water.
Every time Yuan Yan thought of Yang Lingyi, the corners of his mouth would unconsciously turn up slightly.
Time flies.
On the day of the King of Qi's wedding, the emperor hosted a banquet for his relatives and officials.
Because of this rare auspicious day, King Qi pleaded for Yuan Xiao, who had been imprisoned, and released her from confinement. Therefore, Yuan Xiao also came to the banquet today.
When she saw Yuan Yan in the corridor, although her hatred had not diminished, she had learned her lesson once before, and this time Yuan Xiao dared not cause trouble openly again.
"Third Imperial Sister," Yuan Yan called out.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Xiao stopped and snorted coldly, then brushed past Yuan Yan.
Not long after being released, she met Yuan Yan, the culprit who had caused her to be imprisoned for so long.
At this moment, Yuan Xiao felt as if he had been stepped on. He suppressed his resentment, pulled a long face, and turned away.
"Your Highness, Prince Qin." Minister Du greeted Yuan Yan with a smile as he saw her from afar.
"Minister Du, there's no need for such formalities." Yuan Yan spoke with her as they entered the banquet hall.
Before the Emperor were all the imperial relatives and princesses. Below Yuan Yan were Yuan Xiao and the always low-key and good-tempered Fourth Princess Yuan Ke.
"Second Imperial Sister, Third Imperial Sister," Yuan Ke greeted Yuan Yan and Yuan Xiao in a low voice.
The voice reached Yuan Xiao's ears, revealing her utter disdain for her younger sister. Yuan Ke, however, seemed accustomed to Yuan Xiao's attitude and showed no sign of displeasure.
"Fourth Imperial Sister".
Yuan Yan responded in the same way as the original owner, and Yuan Ke's expression finally calmed down.
After Yuan Hao took his seat, the banquet finally began.
First, the King of Qi, dressed in his wedding attire, entered and knelt in worship, followed by his relatives and officials.
Then Yuan Hao offered a few words of admonition and blessing, and raised his cup to bestow wine. The officials knelt to receive the wine, and the banquet began.
As the singing and dancing began in the hall, Yuan Hao exchanged a few words with the Empress Dowager and the eldest son of the emperor below him, then suddenly turned to Yuan Yan below him.
“Second sister, your imperial uncle returned to the capital for the last palace banquet, but you missed it and didn’t get to pay your respects to him. Let’s make up for it today,” Yuan Hao said to her.
When the Empress Dowager mentioned missing the banquet, she must have been referring to the days when she was still in Tanzhou and had not yet returned to the capital. Yuan Yan understood.
"This is your imperial uncle."
Yuan Yan raised his head and saw a middle-aged man with a dignified and elegant demeanor. He stepped forward to greet him and said, "Yuan Yan greets Imperial Uncle."
"This must be Yan'er. She is tall and handsome, with the bearing of a pine or cypress."
Upon seeing Yuan Yan's phoenix-like appearance and dragon-like bearing, the eldest son of the emperor couldn't help but offer a compliment.
Yuan Hao continued, "And this is your imperial uncle's younger brother, you should come and meet him as well."
Separated by a screen, Yang Lingyi stepped forward upon hearing the voice, and looked up at Yuan Yan.
Almost the instant their eyes met, both of them were violently shaken.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
