Chapter 29 The Double-Pupiled Beauty in the Backyard of the Deep Mansion 11
Luo Yunyao writes in delicate, small regular script, but her poems are grand and majestic. However, when the two are put together, they inevitably feel somewhat awkward.
The young men and women downstairs all praised Luo Yunyao highly. Even the noble ladies who disliked her manners had to admit that she was talented.
Surrounded by admirers, Luo Yunyao wore a slightly shy smile, but her eyes revealed undisguised arrogance. In their presence, she certainly had the right to be proud.
Both Li Xuanshu and Li Xuanwei had dark expressions on their faces. No one would be happy to see a swindler showing off what he had stolen.
"Don't worry too much. The truth about what was stolen will always come out eventually, and I guess that day isn't far off."
Luo Shu asked calmly, her expression serene. She took a sip of tea and then asked, "How is the disaster situation in Yuzhang?"
Li Xuanshu looked somewhat stunned. He hadn't expected Luo Shu to ask about this. It wasn't a major secret, so he could naturally tell Luo Shu if she asked.
"The disaster is severe. It has not rained in Yuzhang for several months. The previous memorials exaggerated the severity of the disaster. Now, there are corpses everywhere and people are living in misery."
After Li Xuanshu finished speaking, his face turned somewhat grim. They were members of the royal family, and the royal family was supported by the people. Naturally, they were also unable to eat or sleep peacefully when the people suffered such a calamity.
However, natural disasters are beyond human control; we can only do our best.
"Many surrounding counties have been affected, and the number of refugees is increasing day by day. Many refugees are already heading towards the capital."
Li Xuanwei added, his expression serious. His usual playful demeanor was gone, replaced by a solemn look that was somewhat frightening.
Luo Shu nodded and asked, "Is there any way to deal with this?"
"We have already set up soup kitchens outside the city, and Father has also sent people with rice and grain to Yuzhang for disaster relief. We have also raised funds from wealthy merchants in the countryside. We have done everything we can. Now we just have to wait and see when Heaven will send down rain."
"Father also wrote an edict of self-reproach, and two days later he will hold an altar to pray for rain."
"The main problem is that the prefect of Yuzhang failed to act. He only submitted a memorial to the capital after three months of drought, and the memorial was very brief, only mentioning that Yuzhang was suffering from drought and the people were starving. He only reported the disaster when it had become too big to hide, thus delaying the opportunity. He was incredibly audacious."
"The Emperor has ordered him to be detained in the capital and beheaded during the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven."
The two finished explaining the situation, and Luo Shu gained a fairly good understanding of the drought.
She lowered her eyes, her raven-feather eyelashes fluttering occasionally. Her head drooped slightly, revealing her delicate neck, with a small section of her exquisite collarbone half-hidden in her clothes. She was the epitome of alluring beauty.
Both Li Xuanshu and Li Xuanwei looked away somewhat uncomfortably, their ears turning slightly red.
"I'd like to go during the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, is that alright?"
Luo Shu suddenly asked, her words were straightforward. Although the sacrificial ceremony was heavily guarded, it wouldn't be too difficult for the two of them to take Luo Shu there together.
“Alright, Luo Shu will come with us in two days. My brother and I will make the arrangements.”
It was Li Xuanwei who spoke, and judging from Li Xuanshu's expression, he agreed with what he said.
Upon receiving a definite answer, Luo Shu was overjoyed, two dimples appearing on her lips. Her smile was even brighter than the sunlight outside the window, causing the two handsome young men to blush.
Luo Yunyao and her group had also drunk several rounds of wine. The noble ladies did not drink alcohol, but instead drank some flower and fruit drinks, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
Meanwhile, the eldest prince and Wei Chengyan next door were getting impatient. Their beloved was below them, and there were many handsome young men around, but they could only watch from above. This was nothing short of torture.
"Your Highness, why don't we go down and take a look together?"
The eldest prince spoke, his voice tinged with pride. Luo Yunyao had performed so well, and she was his fiancée; it was only natural for him to be proud.
Wei Chengyan remained expressionless, showing no sign of his inner urgency, and the group headed in that direction.
"Your Highness, I wish you a long and prosperous life."
The eldest prince entered through the main gate, and many people bowed and greeted him. Luo Yunyao was among them, but before she could finish her greeting, the prince helped her up.
"Yun Yao, there's no need for such formalities."
The eldest prince's voice was gentle, and his usually fierce temperament had been somewhat restrained, which was a clear indication of his favoritism towards Luo Yunyao.
Luo Yunyao blushed slightly, but she did not reject the Crown Prince's advances and stepped aside as he did.
Wei Chengyan's hand was clenched into a fist in his sleeve, veins bulging, but his face remained indifferent, as if he had no interest in the scene before him.
Luo Yunyao recognized Wei Chengyan in front of her. She was momentarily startled, but she concealed it well and no one noticed.
She smoothed her hair, her mind reeling. What was this person doing here?
"Please don't stand on ceremony, everyone. My Crown Prince of Yan was impressed by your literary talent and couldn't resist coming to take a look. I hope you will not be too reserved."
After His Highness said this, the atmosphere returned to its previous lively state, but everyone was different from before, each harboring their own ulterior motives.
Most people were thinking that if they could get on the Crown Prince's side, wouldn't they rise to the top in one step? Moreover, there was a prince from another country by their side. Many people even secretly straightened their clothes, straightened their posture, and displayed the full spirit of scholars.
Many young ladies looked at Luo Yunyao with envy. Although the First Prince was not as handsome as the Second Prince, he was still a brave and handsome young man with the potential to advance further. Yet he treated Luo Yunyao with such favor. How could people not be envious and yearn for him?
After exchanging some pleasantries and encouraging the scholars present, the Crown Prince and his entourage left Zuixianlou. If it weren't for the presence of the envoy delegation, the Crown Prince would have been happy to spend time alone with Luo Yunyao, but he had official business to attend to and couldn't linger there indefinitely.
Luo Yunyao also took her leave shortly after they left, saying that she was a little tired today and needed to go back to rest first, and that they could get together again another day.
When she returned to the Grand Tutor's residence, Luo Yunyao's heart was still pounding. She took out a slip of paper from her sleeve, which invited her to a gathering that evening. It was signed by Wei Chengyan.
Luo Yunyao blushed as she thought of the handsome and domineering man from earlier that day, who stood beside the First Prince without being inferior to him.
Is he a prince of Yan? Did he come back specifically for me?
She was incredibly excited and wished it would get dark immediately, but the waiting time always seemed to drag on forever.
Luo Shu also returned home early. Grand Tutor Luo knew that the two princes had invited her out to play recently, and he was happy to see it happen. He never stopped Luo Shu and even gave her a lot of money, just like a loving father who doted on his daughter.
Luo Shu didn't care what he was up to; she would accept any money he offered, since she wouldn't refuse it if it was free.
The weather grew hotter day by day, and the drought in Yuzhang seemed to have spread to many parts of the country. There had been no rain for half a month, and the crops in the fields had withered. Urgent reports were sent to the capital every day, all saying that people in various places were suffering from famine, and many people had no way out and had become refugees.
But what does this have to do with the nobles and wealthy families of the capital?
Banquets are still held one after another, with fine wine and delicacies galore. "Behind the red gates, meat and wine go to waste; on the streets, the frozen dead lie." This is not just a simple line of poetry; it is a true reflection of contemporary society.
Luo Yunyao waited for a long time that night, but Wei Chengyan did not arrive until midnight. He had nothing to do that day, but he was summoned to the palace by the emperor, which delayed him. He was quite annoyed. The royal family of Qi was truly hateful. Then he thought of the woman he loved and wondered if she was still waiting for him.
Under the cover of the guards, Wei Chengyan easily entered the Luo residence. In Luo Yunyao's room, there was still a faint candlelight. Wei Chengyan was overjoyed to see this; she was still waiting for him.
The door wasn't locked. Wei Chengyan pushed it open and went inside. He saw a candle on the table that was almost burned out, and next to it lay a beautiful girl, Luo Yunyao.
His heart softened suddenly; there had never been anyone who lit a lamp for him, waiting for his arrival.
At this moment, Wei Chengyan seemed to have forgotten all his wives and concubines in his mansion, each one waiting for his favor with a lamp lit. So, many times, he was only moving himself.
The beautiful woman's jade-like face appeared even more holy and beautiful in the dim candlelight. Wei Chengyan couldn't help but reach out, wanting to gently stroke the girl's face in front of him, but Luo Yunyao woke up at that moment.
Why are you so late?
Her voice was soft and sleepy, which softened Wei Chengyan's heart.
"I was delayed by going to the palace today, so I arrived a little late."
Wei Chengyan's voice softened considerably. He had a beautiful voice, and speaking so gently exuded a powerful masculine aura, causing Luo Yunyao to blush involuntarily.
The two were deeply in love and poured out their hearts to each other.
Luo Yunyao and the First Prince were almost engaged, but this man in front of her was also a prime catch. She was a transmigrated woman blessed by the gods, so it wasn't normal for several men to admire her. The First Prince, she wanted him; Wei Chengyan, she wanted him too.
Wei Chengyan stayed in Luo Yunyao's boudoir for an hour before leaving. How could Grand Tutor Luo not know about such a commotion?
He didn't know that Li Xuanwei and Li Xuanshu were sending things to Luo Shu because he was extremely neglecting Luo Shu's side.
But as the apple of his eye in the Grand Tutor's mansion, how could Luo Yunyao not have someone secretly protecting her? If he hadn't been afraid of ruining Luo Yunyao's reputation by making a fuss yesterday, he would have taken down that scoundrel long ago.
The next morning, Luo Yunyao was summoned to the study by Grand Tutor Luo.
The Luo family's study was heavily guarded, and even Luo Yunyao rarely entered. Grand Tutor Luo sat upright at the head of the desk, his expression stern and imposing, which made people tremble with fear.
"Kneel down right now! Who was that last night? You'd better tell me everything right now!"
Grand Tutor Luo slammed his hand on the table with a loud bang, startling Luo Yunyao. Her body trembled, and her legs involuntarily bent, causing her to kneel down in front of the table.
"Father, I don't know. I went to bed early last night. I don't understand what you mean?"
Luo Yunyao cried with tears streaming down her face, her body trembling slightly, looking incredibly pitiful.
“You still dare to deceive your father? If you don’t tell the truth, I will disown you as my daughter from now on.”
Grand Tutor Luo spoke sternly and intimidatingly, which convinced Luo Yunyao. Luo Shu's threat was too great, and Luo Yunyao was genuinely afraid that Grand Tutor Luo would abandon her.
“The man last night was a prince from Yan. My daughter met him at the palace. He admires my daughter, but we only talked by candlelight last night. We really did not do anything out of line. Please, Father, see the truth.”
Luo Yunyao's words were somewhat hesitant, a mixture of truth and falsehood. Even if Grand Tutor Luo were incredibly shrewd, he would never have imagined that his daughter would dare to harbor an assassin.
When he heard that this was a prince of the Yan Kingdom, he half-closed his eyes, stroked his beard, and began to ponder the matter.
As for Luo Yunyao's claim that she met Wei Chengyan by chance, he believed her. His daughter was born with good fortune, and encountering helpful people was commonplace for her.
If Luo Yunyao were married off to the Yan Kingdom, and the Yan prince successfully ascended the throne, Luo Shu could stay in the Qi Kingdom, and securing a throne for her would be a piece of cake. In that case, would the Luo family still have to worry about how to prosper in the future?
This is brilliant.
However, we still need to see if this prince of Yan has the luck.
Furthermore, Yun Yao and the First Prince have already made their relationship public. This matter requires further consideration.
After a moment's thought, Grand Tutor Luo changed his expression, walked to the lower side and helped Luo Yunyao up, his face full of love for his daughter, and a hint of heartache.
"Yun Yao, please don't blame me for my stern words. I'm just worried that you, a young lady from a secluded family, will be bullied. I've spoiled you like a precious jewel, and now a strange man has entered your room in the middle of the night. How can I not be angry?"
Seeing her father's loving yet pained expression, Luo Yunyao burst into tears. Her father still loved her.
"Yun Yao will not do it again, sob sob sob, Yun Yao knows she was wrong."
Grand Tutor Luo then spoke gently to his daughter, "My daughter deserves the best in the world. You must tell your father which one you prefer. If you do not wish to marry the Crown Prince, I will give up this official robe to ensure your happiness."
Luo Yunyao was deeply moved upon hearing this. This must be what fatherly love is like.
"This young man dared to come to our heavily guarded Luo residence in the middle of the night; he certainly has some guts. He must also be deeply in love with Yun Yao. In that case, you might as well spend some time with him. There's no need to rush to refuse."
Luo's father then said lovingly to his daughter, "This is clearly a blatant lie. What father would let a man who enters his daughter's bedroom in the middle of the night become his son-in-law?"
All I can say is that Luo Yunyao is still too inexperienced. Her father is indeed a cunning old fox with a deep mind.
The father and daughter were harmonious and affectionate, their love evident in their eyes.
Meanwhile, Luo Shu was chatting with System 5283.
Luo Shu: Is the Heavenly Dao incomplete in this world? I can't see the world's timeline anymore.
5283: Host, I don't know about this system. My level is too low. I need to send a message to the main system. However, we did not encounter any obstacles from the Heavenly Dao when we came to this world. Even you, host, did not experience any physical collapse.
Luo Shu: Hmm, that should be it.
Luo Shu is an ancient deity; she can manipulate the timeline to see the future development of the world.
However, she did not see what the future of this world would look like, proving that this world might soon be destroyed. And the trigger for this disaster was this drought, which could also be said to be due to the incompleteness of the natural order.
Luo Shu lay back down in the rattan chair.
Today is another sunny and breezy day, a perfect day for sleeping in.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
