Chapter 10: Re-wedding Banquet
Lu Zhiran turned a deaf ear to the rumors outside. She ordered people to collect the account books of various industries and sort them out again. She had no time to waste on those unimportant things.
She stayed quietly in Yusheng Residence, but in the evening, an uninvited guest came to her door.
Chu Yunqing was wearing a lake blue soft silver lily dress, a pair of cream satin embroidered shoes with beads, and a gold thread eight-treasure beaded headpiece on her head. She looked dazzled yet unconventional, with a kind of radiant and colorful beauty.
The craftsmanship of Ruyi Pavilion is indeed extraordinary.
Chu Yunqing was like a peacock with its tail spread out, proudly circling in front of Lu Zhiran several times.
"Some people are so selfish and stingy that they wouldn't even give me a headdress. Luckily, I have a generous new sister-in-law. Not only did she give me that headdress, she also bought me several sets of beautiful clothes, shoes and socks, all of the latest fashions!"
Lu Zhiran smiled sincerely, "Congratulations, you are so lucky to have such a generous new sister-in-law."
Then he looked at Zhao Shuning, whose expression was not so happy, and smiled more sincerely, "Congratulations to you too. It's really a blessing for you to have such a sister-in-law who knows how to spend money."
Zhao Shuning's face twitched slightly.
"You don't have to be so sarcastic. I'm not like you, who values money so much. Money is just material possessions. The affection between people is truly precious and irreplaceable."
She spoke very forcefully, as if trying to convince herself.
Chu Yunqing agreed proudly, "That's right, don't try to sow discord between me and Sister Shuning! We are as close as sisters, that's why Sister Shuning is willing to spend money on me."
Lu Zhiran said sincerely, "That's great. One of you is willing to give money, and the other is willing to spend money. You are truly the best sister-in-law in the world. From now on, you don't have to worry about having nowhere to spend your money."
Zhao Shuning: ...
She took a deep breath and suppressed her surging emotions.
"You must not know how bitter and ugly your face is right now. Yi'an hates women like you who are full of schemes and calculations the most. You are totally wrong if you try to control him and force him to surrender with such means."
Lu Zhiran counterattacked with a powerful force, "You should take a good look in the mirror and see how much duplicity is on your face right now."
Zhao Shuning: "Yian said you were sharp-tongued and sarcastic, like a street shrew. It's true."
Lu Zhiran smiled gently, "You don't have to keep talking about Chu Yian. I don't care what he says about me, and it won't hurt me in the slightest. But you, on the other hand, are so concerned about his opinion of me. Could it be that you're still not confident in yourself and are afraid that he'll turn back to me?"
She was dressed in casual clothes, which seemed plain and simple, but with just a slight smile, her eyes and eyebrows instantly came alive, and her beauty was extremely aggressive.
Zhao Shuning's expression changed slightly, and she quickly denied it. "With you? Are you worthy?"
Chu Yunqing also echoed, "My brother doesn't like you at all, so don't flatter yourself! The person my brother really cares about is Sister Shuning, otherwise he wouldn't use his military merits to ask for her to be granted an imperial decree."
Zhao Shuning's expression softened, and the tension in his body relaxed.
She was a fifth-rank imperial minister, something Lu Zhiran could never compare to.
Lu Zhiran: "Whatever I want, I will earn it myself. I don't need to rely on men."
Zhao Shuning laughed out loud, with undisguised contempt in his eyes.
"Have you ever seen the outside world? Do you know what the scenery outside looks like? Have you ever taken your eyes off the small plot of land in the inner house? You really don't know what to do."
She shook her head as she spoke, as if mocking herself, "I actually thought you were a strong opponent. Now that I think about it, I really overestimated you."
Facing her ridicule, Lu Zhiran remained calm and just asked, "Do you understand me?"
She had an arrogant posture and tone, looking down at Lu Zhiran from a high position.
"A superficial woman like you is just like this, and I can see through her at a glance."
After hearing her words, Lu Zhiran laughed again, and his smile was full of deep self-mockery.
In her previous life, she hated Zhao Shuning, but also admired and envied her.
Because she was not trapped in the inner house, she could soar in the vast world outside. Regardless of her character, she had a higher vision and knowledge than ordinary women.
But now, Lu Zhiran realized that her enemy was not as powerful as she thought.
She claims that she is different from the women in the inner house, but in fact, her view of people is extreme and narrow, and she has a kind of self-righteous arrogance in her bones.
She was even worse than the women in the inner palace whom she looked down upon.
Did I lose to such a person in my previous life?
Zhao Shuning didn't know what she was laughing at, but she felt that her smile was particularly dazzling.
"After some time, Yi'an and I will hold another wedding banquet. At that time, I hope you can stay away from it so that we don't both look bad."
This was the condition for her agreeing to pay the eight thousand taels.
She not only wants Chu Yian's favor, but also worldly recognition.
She was not a concubine who was not allowed to be seen in public. She was a co-wife, and a co-wife with an imperial decree. Lu Zhiran's only advantage was that she entered the family earlier than herself.
She wanted a grand wedding banquet to announce to the world her position in Chu Yian's heart and completely surpass Lu Zhiran.
Zhao Shuning looked at Lu Zhiran, wanting to see a look of shock on her face, but there was none. Her reaction was very calm, as if he had just said something insignificant.
What was there to be surprised about? This was all something that had happened in her past life, so it wasn't new.
"Then let me say congratulations first."
Zhao Shuning said firmly, "I know you're forcing a smile."
She has a knack for talking to herself, and no matter what others do or say, she seems to only believe what she thinks is true.
Lu Zhiran stopped arguing with her and nodded obediently, "Yes, I was indeed forcing a smile. Is there anything else you can do for me?"
Her attitude did not make Zhao Shuning feel the expected pleasure, but instead made him feel suffocated as if he was blocked by a ball of cotton.
She said no more and turned to leave.
Chu Yunqing shot Lu Zhiran a look, then followed her eagerly, saying as they walked, "Sister Shuning, the jade bracelet the emperor gave me that day is so beautiful. It goes perfectly with my headwear. Would you mind giving it to me? I'll wear it on your wedding day with my eldest brother, and everyone will surely praise your kindness and generosity."
Zhao Shuning: ...
Lu Zhiran laughed when she heard that.
She could only say that she wished them well and hoped that this pair of sister-in-law would be completely locked up and would never come to harm her again.
Watching them leave, Cui Fu and Dan Yan's eyes turned red with anger.
"The eldest lady is going too far. You used to be so kind to her, but now she's trying to please that guy."
"Yeah, she's such an ungrateful person!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
