After Second Young Master Lu left, Lady Lu remained skeptical. How could it be Third Young Master? Was Second Young Master deceiving her? The Luo girl’s background was far inferior to the Lu family’s, and Lady Lu didn’t like her; she would never accept this young lady as her daughter-in-law. However, if it were Lu Yun… Lady Lu could avoid interfering in the second branch’s affairs to prevent suspicion. The only ones who could arrange Lu Yun’s marriage were the old Marquis, the old Madam, and Lu Yun himself. As long as the Luo girl had nothing to do with the Second Young Master, Lady Lu, from an outsider’s perspective, thought this young lady wasn’t bad at all.
Maid Lvyao, who had just returned from escorting Lu Xian out, saw Lady Lu still deep in thought with furrowed brows. Knowing what Lady Lu was thinking about, she hesitated before saying: “My lady, on the day Second Young Master woke up, didn’t we encounter Third Young Master carrying a young lady outside the courtyard? After careful observation, though Third Young Master covered her with his cloak, the exposed corner of the lady’s skirt matched exactly what Miss Luo wore that day.”
Lvyao continued: “My lady, could it be that Miss Luo wasn’t praying in the Buddha hall that day as she claimed, but was instead with the Third Young Master?”
Lady Lu’s heart jumped, and she raised her eyes in surprise: “Are you certain?”
Under Lady Lu’s solemn gaze, piercing like lightning, Lvyao suddenly became uncertain… She coughed once, her eyes darting: “My lady, why don’t we investigate?”
Lady Lu’s heart stirred slightly: “Investigating her is fine, but I fear she truly has something with Third Young Master. I don’t want to investigate ‘Clear Courtyard.’ If Third Young Master gets involved, won’t the elders say I’m mistreating the bloodline of my younger brother-in-law?”
Facing the second branch with only one young master left, the primary mistress was indeed full of such concerns, not wanting to invite trouble. After pondering for a while, Lady Lu waved her hand, muttering: “Let it be, better to pretend we don’t know. I just thought she wasn’t simple, bewitching everyone to plead for her. If she was really with Third Young Master that day, hmm?” As Lady Lu spoke, she became confused herself. She didn’t know whether to be angry that Luo Lingyu might have been playing them all along, or whether, compared to Second Young Master, Luo Lingyu was indeed closer to Lu Yun.
Lady Lu slapped the table and called the old servant woman forward: “Miss Luo’s coming to our home was arranged by my sister-in-law, and I didn’t ask much then. But now it seems Miss Luo isn’t one to stay quiet. If something develops between her and the Third Young Master in the future, and the old Madam asks, I can’t be completely ignorant.”
“Find me some clever servants. I need to send them to Nanyang to investigate—see exactly why Luo Lingyu left the Luo family in Nanyang.”
“Whether it was due to poor conduct and being driven out by the Luo family; or causing trouble everywhere, using her beauty to make brothers fight for her… or some other reason that made her determined to come to the Lu family in Jianye.”
Meanwhile, Lu Yun was in a second-floor private room of a newly opened teahouse beside the new bridge at Qinhuai River. The South was known for good tea, and teahouses dotted the marketplace, with new teas often being snatched up as soon as they appeared. However, the teas in the marketplace were merely leftovers from the wealthy families’ competitive purchases. Naturally, Third Young Master Lu hadn’t come to the teahouse for tea.
After drinking tea by the window for about the time it takes to finish one cup, the curtain of the elegant room was lifted, and Prince Liu Chu of Chen entered. Though Liu Chu had delicate features, his brows were now furrowed with worry. Seeing Third Young Master’s casual, relaxed manner, Liu Chu fell silent for a moment before taking a seat.
Before Lu Yun could speak, this slightly stuttering prince who rarely spoke, couldn’t wait to sit down: “Xue Chen, you, leave Jianye, hide for a few days.”
Lu Yun’s eyes focused: “Why?”
He narrowed his eyes: “I’ve been staying home nursing my injuries daily, not even leaving the house, yet I’ve done nothing. Why should I go into hiding? What am I hiding from?”
Liu Chu anxiously: “Hengyang, Prince of Hen-Hengyang he…”
He stuttered for a long while, unable to continue, his face reddening with frustration. He simply used the tea to write on the table to communicate with Lu Yun: “During the court assembly, the Prince of Hengyang told the Emperor he was attacked before arriving in Jianye. The Emperor was furious, sent people to investigate, and assigned infantry outside the Prince of Hengyang’s residence for protection. This matter originally had nothing to do with us, but somehow, the news of you leaving Jianye for several months and returning injured, staying indoors, has spread. Before court this morning, a guest told me that the Prince of Hengyang’s side seems to suspect you were the assassin.”
Lu Yun raised an eyebrow: “I left Jianye for Yicheng, I never went to Hengyang, and several great scholars in Yicheng can testify. What does the Prince of Hengyang’s assassination attempt have to do with me?”
Liu Chu: “This shows there’s no one at court anymore. Both Hengyang and Yicheng are southbound, and you avoided those noble families, not taking official roads. If he uses this as an excuse to cause trouble, you won’t be able to clear yourself even if the Prince of Hengyang makes accusations.”
Liu Chu spoke again: “Here in Jianye, I’ll cover. You, go hide first. Don’t provoke him.”
Lu Yun: “No.”
He slowly said: “His target isn’t just me. I’m not even at court, with no conflict of interest with him, perhaps he’s targeting you, Your Highness. He told His Majesty about the assassination attempt as soon as he arrived in Jianye, rather than investigating privately. The Prince of Hengyang must have something… I won’t leave, I want to see his reasons. Even though I’m not at court, I won’t quietly take the blame.”
After a long silence, Liu Chu carefully arranged his words and said dryly: “What will you do?”
Lu Yun lowered his eyes, his lips curving slightly: “How about sneaking into the Prince of Hengyang’s residence at night? To probe his true situation for you… Since he arrived in Jianye, life hasn’t been easy for any of the princes.”
Liu Chu’s heart stirred, and he fell silent. Lu Yun’s mention of the princes reminded him that he could unite with the other princes to jointly restrain the Prince of Hengyang. The Prince of Hengyang naturally had the Emperor and Empress Dowager’s favor, but these sons of His Majesty weren’t willing to quietly step aside either.
Liu Chu looked at Lu Yun and asked: “Your, injury, healed?”
Lu Yun carelessly: “It’s fine now.”
Staring at him for a while, seeing the young lord’s face hidden in shadow, Liu Chu felt a slight ache in his heart. Thinking of these years, how much Lu Yun had done such things for him in secret. Liu Chu reached out, gripped Lu Yun’s hand once, and whispered: “All, all know you’re on my side. After this matter ends, even if you refuse, I must give you an official position.”
Lu Yun smiled ambiguously: “I don’t mind that. Now that the Prince of Hengyang has arrived, let them fight it out. I just wonder if Your Highness will get dragged in…”
Liu Chu’s eyes turned cold, and he slowly shook his head: “I don’t care.”
The implication, naturally, wasn’t about who was more favored by His Majesty or whose influence was stronger.
Lu Yun leaned forward: “Then I don’t care either.”
Lu Yun: “If you don’t care about the Prince of Hengyang, you should care about one thing—I received a letter from the scholar Zhou Tan, who is willing to help your cause. His daughter Zhou Yangling is probably already on her way to Jianye. You care about the distinction between scholars and commoners, this young lady is Zhou Tan’s most beloved daughter, you should put some effort into this matter.”
Liu Chu slowly nodded.
The two discussed many things, taking their time. Finally, Liu Chu still worried: “Sneaking into the Prince of Hengyang’s residence at night… Xue Chen, be careful.”
…
While some concerned themselves with great matters, others focused on private affairs. On Luo Lingyu’s side, she was organizing things in her room. Her younger sister Luo Yunwan sat obediently behind her, holding books, watching her sister spread out many treasured items, filling the felt rugs and tables on the floor. Luo Lingyu hugged an abacus, clicking away for a long time, her expression becoming increasingly rigid: “…Too poor.”
Getting poorer and poorer.
The expenses in Jianye were extravagant, who started this trend? Things being given back and forth, discarding unwanted items… Luo Lingyu really couldn’t keep up with their lifestyle. Luo Lingyu gritted her teeth; the young miss had invited her out to play, and she was afraid to even think about it, but refusing wasn’t good either. She had already canceled the polo activity that her aunt had arranged, if she didn’t go out again, how could she establish her position in Jianye’s noble ladies’ circle?
But going out, thinking of the noble ladies’ frightening expenditures… After hesitating for a long time, Luo Lingyu placed two items on the table:
Luo Yunwan peeked out from behind her sister, seeing that after long consideration, her sister reluctantly put a hairpin and a painting together.
Luo Lingyu thought: She must sell something to make ends meet.
The books and tea leaves she brought were small items, not worth much, and selling them would only help for a short time. But this acquired Hetian jade hairpin and the painting by the famous scholar “Plum Blossom Recluse” were both expensive and rare. If she were to sell either one, there would surely be many collectors interested.
Just that for a noble family’s daughter to sell things, it absolutely couldn’t become known, how embarrassing.
But which should she sell? The Hetian jade hairpin was given to her by the Prince of Hengyang that day, perhaps she could use it to establish a connection with him in the future; as for the Plum Blossom Recluse’s painting, it was given by Lu Yun, and while Luo Lingyu normally didn’t care about things from Lu Yun, this was different because it was the “Plum Blossom Recluse’s” painting. Luo Lingyu knew she was materialistic, but she truly loved the Plum Blossom Recluse’s paintings. She had sought one for many years before finally obtaining this piece. She had quietly admired the Plum Blossom Recluse for years, how could she bear to part with the painting she had obtained…
Caught in a dilemma, unwilling to part with either.
A maid curtsied outside the door and announced: “Young Miss, Second Young Master has come to see you.”
Luo Lingyu raised her head in surprise: Recently, Second Young Master Lu had been visiting her quite frequently…
Lu Xian hadn’t come alone; he brought along a little tot, Fourth Young Master Lu Chen. Fourth Young Master Lu blushed, hiding shyly behind his second brother. On Luo Lingyu’s side, the little sister Luo Yunwan who was reading became timid upon seeing Second Young Master, thinking of the mischief she had done.
Luo Yunwan stammered, and Fourth Young Master Lu also stammered. Second Young Master Lu smiled naturally, wanting to enter the room, but seeing it full of items, there was no place to stand. He had to stand at the doorway, and when looking toward Luo Lingyu, he immediately noticed the painting in front of her. Lu Xian’s smile paused: “Cousin, why do you still collect Third Brother’s paintings?”
Luo Lingyu, shy yet delighted, lowered her head to admire the painting again: “No, it’s Third Cousin’s gift. Third Cousin was too kind… giving me a Plum Blossom Recluse painting.”
Lu Xian stared at her for a while, feeling something was wrong. He coughed: “You, ahem, you don’t know that the Plum Blossom Recluse is Third Brother?”
Luo Lingyu: “…”
She lost her voice: “…How is that possible?!”
Lu Xian turned back and beckoned, giving instructions to a servant. Luo Lingyu’s heart tumbled up and down, and it took her a while to remember to clean up the mess in the room to let Second Cousin in to talk. Lu Xian had barely sat down for a moment, with Luo Lingyu absent-mindedly keeping him company, when the breathless servant ran back, carrying a painting.
Lu Xian spread out the painting in front of Luo Lingyu, pointing at the two paintings: “Look at the brush strokes, aren’t they the same?”
Luo Lingyu: “…”
She stared at the name signed on Lu Xian’s painting, forcing herself to say: “…This is someone called Xue Chen…”
She suddenly stopped, then stood up with a red face: “Could it be that Third Cousin’s name is, is, Xue Chen?!”