Rumors
Although the two families had already agreed on the marriage, Lu Yu insisted on completing the six necessary rituals.
Accepting the bride’s proposal, asking for the bride’s name, accepting the bride’s good wishes, accepting the bride’s betrothal gifts, asking for the date, and welcoming the bride in person are all essential.
Mrs. Lu specially invited a senior monk from Hongfu Temple to match the two people's horoscopes. The monk said that they were destined to be married. She also asked the monk to calculate a few auspicious days for the coming spring.
Lu Yu read the destined marriage note again and again, and then picked the earliest day from the three auspicious days, which was the sixth day of March.
Mrs. Lu joked, “When I urged you before, didn’t you say you were not in a hurry?”
Lu Yu's ears turned red, and she pursed her lips and said, "Mother, please don't joke. Time is tight. I'll have to trouble you to worry about me during this period of time."
Mrs. Lu snorted but did not refute.
Because what he said was correct, since the two of them were not getting married but were just getting married, it would not be appropriate for them to live in either house, so the two families discussed choosing another place for them to live.
It would be best if the residence is not too far away from the two families. One is the richest man in the capital and the other is the son of the Duke of Zhenguo. The residence certainly cannot be too shabby. Purchasing a house is the first step, and the subsequent renovation and decoration will also take time.
So the next day, Bai Miaoke received an invitation from Mrs. Lu to visit the house.
The Lu Mansion is located in the southwest corner of the imperial city, and the Bai Mansion is located in the northwest corner. If you want to be closer to both, the west of the city is the best choice.
Bai Miaoke held the hand warmer that Mrs. Lu brought for her, and her other hand affectionately held hers. When the two of them appeared on the street like mother and daughter, they really attracted a lot of attention.
Some people are curious and curious, while others are just speculating maliciously.
"Is this the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo?"
"Yes, I've seen it at a banquet before."
"Whose noble lady is this with her?"
"Hush, you don't know yet? This is the daughter of the Bai family, and she is engaged to that guy."
"Which Bai family?"
"Who else could it be? That rich businessman. I don't know if his reputation has become too bad recently, so he can only marry a merchant girl."
The deliberately suppressed voices of the conversation of several people still reached Bai Miaoke and Madam Lu. Madam Lu also had a bad temper, so she immediately dragged Bai Miaoke to find those gossipers to argue.
Bai Miaoke was not the type to swallow her anger, so she and Mrs. Lu stopped the two men.
"Hey, Madam Zhenguo, long time no see." One of the ladies said warmly.
"Since you know me, why don't you bow?" Madam Lu looked at her coldly. She was not only the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo, but also a first-rank official of the imperial court. According to the rules, the families of lower-ranking officials had to kneel down and bow when they saw her.
The two women were both minor officials of the fifth or sixth rank in the capital and could only kneel in greeting.
"Xiao Ke, if someone makes you unhappy in the future, just tell me. I'll see who dares to bully you." Mrs. Lu patted Bai Miaoke's hand and said. If she didn't say it, the two women who were performing the ceremony could not get up.
Seeing that they had lost face in the street like this, Mrs. Lu took Bai Miaoke away.
"Xiao Ke, don't take these gossips to heart. These people tend to look down on others." Mrs. Lu comforted.
"Aunt, I know. It's nothing." Bai Miaoke looked at the concern and love in Mrs. Lu's eyes. Her heart felt warm, as if she had another mother to take care of her. She wanted to cry.
"Let's go and see the house." Bai Miaoke changed the subject, took Mrs. Lu's arm again, and leaned gently against her.
After looking at five or six courtyards in the morning, Bai Miao finally chose a house with four entrances and exits and a garden. She planned to ask Lu Yu to come and see it another day. If he was satisfied, they would decide on this place.
After solving the housing problem, Bai Miaoke went to Jinyulou to order a set of head jewelry to use when she got married.
The shopkeeper of Jinyulou received her personally and asked hesitantly, "Young Master, are you really going to marry the Prime Minister?"
Bai Miaoke was fiddling with a golden hairpin in front of the mirror and answered casually, "Yes, the wedding date is set for next spring."
"But..." The shopkeeper seemed to be hesitant to speak.
"If you have something to say, just say it." Bai Miaoke put down her hairpin and looked at him.
"Young Master, don't blame me for being nosy. It's being said that the Prime Minister will only marry you if he has evidence against you."
"Not all of them say that. Some people also say that the prime minister's reputation is too bad now. Maybe he is greedy for money and is getting engaged to the Bai family."
The shopkeeper spoke cautiously while looking up at Bai Miaoke's face.
The latter was relatively calm, with only the corners of his lips slightly pursed, as if he was thinking.
"I understand." Bai Miaoke said calmly and continued to fiddle with the hairpin on her head.
But suddenly a servant came running to report that someone was outside looking for the young master.
Bai Miaoke followed him out and saw Lu Yu standing in front of the counter playing with a jade bracelet. He was still wearing a crimson official uniform and seemed to have just finished his shift.
"Why is the Prime Minister here?" Bai Miaoke teased with a smile. It was really because he looked too strong in this official uniform, and his every move was filled with the temperament of a decisive and murderous superior.
The cold and frosty temperament disappeared the moment he saw Bai Miaoke, and he asked, "I'm here to ask if Miss can do me the honor of dining with you?"
"That depends on your sincerity." Bai Miaoke took two steps closer, saw the dark circles under his eyes and the stubble on his chin, and frowned slightly.
Noticing her gaze, Lu Yu touched his chin and felt a light stubble, then lowered his head calmly.
"This bracelet is for you." Lu Yu picked up the jade bracelet that he had just been staring at and handed it over.
Bai Miaoke stretched out her hand and asked him to put it on her. It was just the right size, not too big or too small. The porcelain-white jade bracelet made her wrist look even more slender.
"Let's go." Bai Miaoke shook the bracelet on her wrist and led the way out.
Lu Yu quickly caught up with her, got on the carriage before her, and then turned back to help her.
Bai Miaoke grabbed his hand and got into the carriage. After sitting down, she lifted the curtain and looked around, then said, "Why is there someone following you all day?"
"It's almost gone." Lu Yu said calmly.
Bai Miaoke did not ask further questions. She believed in Lu Yu's methods and abilities. Instead, she pointed in a direction and said, "I haven't told you yet. This morning, my aunt and I took a liking to a house over there. If you have time, go and see if you like it."
"Do you like it?" Lu Yu asked.
"Of course. There is a big garden in the backyard. You can plant some flowers and let Chun Xing take care of it. She is very good at it. There are also two side courtyards. One can be converted into a martial arts training ground and the other can be used as a study."
"And this house is very close to the shops in the west of the city, but it's a bit far for you to go to court. If you find it inconvenient, you can buy another one near the palace and live there when you are on duty." Bai Miaoke planned with him enthusiastically.
"No, I'm not afraid of the distance."
"As long as it's your home, you can live anywhere. I will go back no matter how far it is." Lu Yu said, holding her hand.
Bai Miao laughed and suddenly looked forward to living with him after they got married.
"Young Master, we're here." The carriage stopped in front of Lanyue Tower, and Fugui said outside.
Lu Yu jumped off the carriage first, then turned around and raised his arm to let Bai Miaoke get off. He would never do this before, which made Bai Miaoke couldn't help but look at him twice more.
"Let's go." Lu Yu took her into Lanyue Tower as if nothing had happened.
After walking into the private room, Lu Yu said, "Ke'er, I'm sorry for putting you through so much these days."
"Ah?" Bai Miaoke was puzzled.
"Because of your engagement to me, you have been subject to many rumors." Lu Yu said in a low voice.
"Oh, it's okay, I don't care." Bai Miaoke said with a smile.
"Instead of saying anything else, it's better to let others think that I am determined to give myself to you." Lu Yu said seriously, but Bai Miaoke couldn't help laughing. It turned out that this man was deliberately lowering his posture in public.
"Okay, since you want to marry me, I will reluctantly accept it." Bai Miaoke raised her head proudly, revealing a large part of her fair and delicate neck.
Lu Yu looked away and said in a hoarse voice, "Yes, my lady."
Bai Miaoke couldn't help but reach out to catch him, and the two of them played around for a while before they washed their hands and ate.
Halfway through the meal, Lu Yu suddenly asked, "Ke'er, are you willing to meet His Majesty?"
Bai Miaoke was stunned, and the peanut she picked up fell back onto the plate with a plop.
Bai Miaoke has thought about this question since she learned about her mother's background. Her mother is Concubine Yu's sister, and His Majesty is Concubine Yu's only son. So, she and the current His Majesty are actually cousins.
It’s just that now that the situation is unclear, the relationship between the cousins becomes very awkward.
Bai Miaoke did not answer his question, but asked instead: "Was it the late emperor's intention?"
"Yes, Ma Hongzhe was originally ordered by the late emperor to stay in Jiangnan to monitor the Yu family." Lu Yu said.
Bai Miaoke closed her eyes and asked, "Then, what does His Majesty say?"
In the final analysis, this matter is equivalent to your Majesty's father plotting to kill his mother's family, and he is the most difficult one to deal with. Your father, mother, teacher, brothers, are all relatively important people to your Majesty.
"Your Majesty has already drafted an edict. Ma Hongzhe will be executed and Prince Kang will be exiled to restore the innocence of my family. It should be announced to the world tomorrow." Lu Yu said.
Bai Miaoke understood that His Majesty had chosen to stand on the side of the truth, even if it might damage the royal dignity. Regardless of Lu Yu's persuasion or His Majesty's open-mindedness, this was a very difficult decision for His Majesty.
So she gave an answer to the original question: "If Your Majesty summons me to see you, how can I refuse?"
Lu Yu heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that she didn't look reluctant.
He had already made plans. If Bai Miaoke didn't want to see His Majesty, he would never force her. Now that she was willing, he respected her choice.
"Okay, an imperial decree will be issued in the next few days, and I will accompany you then." Lu Yu said.
The next morning, the emperor announced in the court the truth that the Yu family had been framed and the entire family was executed. All officials were in an uproar, and only the Grand Tutor Ma Hongzhe laughed out loud.
The emperor frowned in displeasure. Seeing his expression, the eunuch immediately read out the second decree. His shrill voice drowned out Ma Hongzhe's laughter: "The relationship between the emperor and his subjects, father and son, and the moral principles are the foundation of a country. Heaven and earth are witnesses to this. However, there are now rebellious people who betray the emperor and bully the people."
"King Kang is a descendant of the royal family and my brother. He should have been loyal to me, but he didn't think about the emperor's grace and became a wolf. He colluded with the Grand Tutor Ma Hongzhe, communicated with foreign countries, and invited the wolf into the house. He secretly gave me the mountains and rivers and promised to cede land. He conspired in secret and formed a party in the court and the public. He raised private soldiers and plotted to obtain the divine weapon. His wolfish ambition is obvious! His behavior is not only treason, but also betrayal of his ancestors. He wants to overthrow the foundation of the Great Qi for a hundred years and put all the people in danger!"
“We now strip King Kang of all his titles and fiefs, demote him to a commoner, remove him from the clan register, and never allow him to be buried in the imperial mausoleum! Considering his royal bloodline, we allow him to be exiled to Lingnan as a token of the emperor’s grace.
"The Grand Tutor Ma Hongzhe is guilty of a heinous crime. He shall be taken to the city government and sentenced to beheading! His head shall be sent to the nine frontiers as a warning to others! All his property shall be confiscated and his three clans shall be exterminated! Any of his students and old friends who are involved in the treasonous case shall be strictly investigated!"
The injustice that had lasted for more than 20 years was finally cleared up. Some of the old ministers at that time could not help but wipe their tears. The emperor sat on the dragon throne with his back straight and his face expressionless. No one knew what he was thinking.
Although the injustice was redressed, the matter was not settled yet, as the Bai Mansion welcomed an uninvited guest.
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