"Mother, I'm fine."
Upon hearing this, Madam Lu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She felt guilty towards her daughter who was recuperating in the countryside, feeling that she owed her too much.
Fortunately, there is still time to make up for it.
This was the first time Madam Lu had brought her daughter, Lu Zhizhi, to the palace. She had started teaching her palace etiquette and manners a few days in advance, fearing that she might behave improperly in front of the emperor.
"Zhi'er, don't be afraid. Although this is your first time in the palace, you have already performed very well."
Suddenly, Madam Lu remembered something and hurriedly said to Lu Zhizhi, "The person opposite us, Shen Danru, is the granddaughter of the Duke of Shen. Zhizhi must befriend her. Her manners and speech are all up to the standards of the Crown Princess. We are sitting in a position where we can observe her and learn from her."
Shen Yu Ziwei paused for a moment, then the hatred in her eyes intensified.
The so-called Lu Zhizhi is no longer alive; the current Lu Zhizhi is Chen Yuzi.
Shen Yuzi was sold by the Shen family to a household in Ningzhou City as a maid, where she suffered inhuman abuse.
For a small mistake, she was punished by kneeling outside the courtyard for three days and three nights.
Fortunately, Lu Zhizhi from next door came over with her maid and, seeing Chen Yuzi's pitiful state, bought her.
After following Lu Zhizhi, Shen Yuzi worked diligently every day, but malicious thoughts began to grow in her heart.
Why is it that, despite both being women, Lu Zhizhi can live such a wonderful life, while she is treated like cattle, bought and sold, and tortured?
By chance, she saved a mysterious man, who promised to do something for her in return for saving her life.
So she secretly took a portrait from Lu Zhizhi's room and told the person that she wanted to become Lu Zhizhi.
The mysterious man disappeared for several days. When he reappeared, he had a mask in his hand, and then vanished without a trace.
Shen Yuzi couldn't wait to put on the face mask. She repeatedly touched it in front of the mirror, secretly delighted.
She knew a principle well: to live a superior life, one must be ruthless.
From that day on, she became even more considerate and attentive. In order to imitate Lu Zhizhi's words and actions, she learned a lot about the Lu family's background from Lu Zhizhi.
Gradually, she also became one of the people Lu Zhizhi trusted most.
At this moment, Shen Yuzi believed the time was right. She devised a plan to push Lu Zhizhi into the well and then put on the mask herself.
The servants mistakenly thought that it was Shen Yuzi who had fallen into the well, and they all felt sorry for the girl.
One day, Shen Yuzhi, disguised as Lu Zhizhi, encountered a beggar named Niu in Ningzhou City and learned about the changes that had happened to the Shen family.
She was actually secretly pleased that the Shen family was in trouble.
However, the death of her brother Shen Yushu was a fact she could not accept.
She was sold so that her brother, Shen Yushu, could go to school.
She placed high hopes on her brother, wishing that he would become the top scholar in the imperial examination and bring her home.
However, all her hopes are now dashed, all thanks to Shen Danru.
Shen Danru destroyed her hopes; that made her her enemy.
She asked her servants to inquire about Shen Danru's whereabouts, and upon hearing that she had come to Shengjing, she also had the idea of coming to Shengjing.
When the Lu family came to the Ningzhou estate to take Lu Zhizhi back to Shengjing, Shen Yuzi agreed without hesitation.
She had a chance encounter with Shen Danru on Nanxian Street, and she paid several thugs to help her.
Originally, I wanted to teach her and her servants a lesson, but I never expected that the maidservant beside her would be a martial arts expert.
Shen Danru, you just wait!
Although Shen Yuzi harbored deep hatred for Shen Danru, she still had to pretend to be the obedient Lu Zhizhi in front of Madam Lu.
"Yes, Mother."
Seeing how well-behaved her daughter was, Madam Lu felt even more guilty.
When her daughter was very young, she fell seriously ill and almost lost her life.
In order to save their lives, the Lu family found a Taoist priest to perform a ritual.
The Taoist priest suggested sending the child to a place with good feng shui to recuperate, so that he could grow up safely; otherwise, he would die young.
Madam Lu had no choice but to send her daughter to Ningzhou, a place with beautiful mountains and clear waters, suitable for recuperation.
At first, Madam Lu would visit her whenever she had free time, but over time, she stopped visiting for several years.
Now my daughter has grown into a beautiful young woman, but I always feel there is a barrier between us.
Just as Madam Lu was lost in thought, she suddenly heard the eunuch announce that the Emperor, his concubines, and the princes had arrived.
Madam Lu had no choice but to pull herself together and, along with Lu Zhizhi, join the others in paying their respects to the Emperor.
The Emperor smiled and said, "No need for formalities, everyone, please rise."
"Today's victory banquet is to celebrate the victory of our Great Shun Dynasty. General Shen deserves great credit for this."
The crowd responded in unison, and cheers resounded throughout the entire Star-Picking Tower.
At this moment, Shen Danru did not hear what the emperor was saying at all; she was attracted to a man.
The latter winked at her playfully.
Qi Shuoyu?
How did he end up here?
No, if the Emperor knew he was Qi Shuoyu, he certainly wouldn't have allowed him to stand here safely.
Who is he? Could it be the Sixth Prince, Qi Jingyu?
He's really brave.
Back then, Qi Shuoyu was sent to an enemy country as a hostage when he was young.
As he grew up, he no longer showed his true face. Rumors circulated that he had been disfigured and always wore a mask whenever he appeared.
When he returned to the Great Shun Dynasty, he was already dead. The royal family disregarded him and didn't even bother to look at his corpse.
Now, Qi Shuoyu stands before everyone, and no one recognizes him as the Qi Shuoyu of yesteryear.
When Shen Danru first met him, she knew the rumors were false.
The man was not only not disfigured, but he was also incredibly handsome.
Besides Qi Shuoyu, there was someone else who surprised her even more—the woman who gave her the travel pills on her way from Ningzhou to Shengjing.
I wonder how the old lady over there is doing.
This noblewoman is Princess Nanyang, the emperor's younger sister and his most beloved sister.
Princess Nanyang's husband was the governor of a city. Initially, after getting married, Princess Nanyang would occasionally return to Shengjing.
However, for some unknown reason, Princess Nanyang settled in her husband's home with her husband and never returned.
Shen Danru had some doubts about this. She believed that Princess Nanyang's failure to return to Shengjing might be related to the deposition of the former crown prince and the sending of Qi Shuoyu to another country as a hostage.
Now that Qi Shuoyu has just returned to the country, and Princess Nanyang has also returned to Shengjing, there must be some connection between them.
Princess Nanyang also noticed Shen Danru at this moment. After her initial surprise, she nodded to Shen Danru.
Shen Danru also respectfully responded with a smile.
At this moment, the Emperor said to his princes, "General Shen led our army in a valiant battle, and with his wisdom and courage, he successfully defeated the enemy and defended our country's territory. You younger generations must learn from him."
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