Chapter 217 - Your Majesty, Please Calm Down! (2)
Chapter 217 – Your Majesty, Please Calm Down! (2)
“Is this something we can handle? The emperor has confined the wang fei, she must have done something that angered him. Now, we still do not know anything. How do you plan to help her? Do not act hastily and bring trouble to our family.” Old Madam Lu chastised.
Madame Lu sat back and calmed herself. Her daughter was in a very dicey position now. One wrong move, and things could turn catastrophic. Even so, the old madam did not seem nervous at all. No matter how desperate she was, she dared not act rashly for she too was worried that it would affect the Lu Family.
If the Lu Family had not had my daughter as the wang fei, would the family be as prosperous as it is today? Is it not that the old madam has pinned all her hopes on the Third Household?
Humph! Lu Shiming is just an imperial secretary, why compare him with my son? Even if his daughter has become more beautiful, it cannot compare with Lu Wushuang.
When Lu Shiming saw Madam Lu calm down, he softly asked Old Madam Lu, “Mother, have you not heard anything else from the palace?”
Old Madam Lu shook her head. “Lu Wushuang has not only angered the emperor, but also the empress dowager. I heard the empress dowager sent two tutoring aunts to teach her the rules.”
“What is wrong with my Lu Wushuang?” Madam Lu could not sit still when she heard this. She could not believe that her impeccable daughter had been subjected to such humiliation.
Old Madam Lu glanced at her coldly. Tonight, this woman was hell bent on trying her patience it seems. “Do you think you know the rules?” she asked sarcastically.
“Mother, how can you always target the Eldest Household? If Shuang’er has really fallen out of favor, can the Lu Family still relish this comfort? What you are enjoying now, is it not brought about by my daughter?” Madam Lu cried grumpily.
“Liu Shi, the glory and wealth of the Lu Family today are indeed brought by your children. However, if it wasn’t the property earned by the ancestors given out to help the emperor, would the Lu Family be where it is today? Do not frighten others in the name of your children. If you feel that you have suffered a loss, wait until he arrives and ask him if he wants to separate from this family.” Old Madam Lu’s stern voice resonated in the hall.
Madam Lu was left speechless for a moment. However, she soon recomposed herself and took the softer approach this time.
“Mother, I am just worried about Wang Fei.”
“Who is not worried about Wang Fei? Who do you think you are to meddle in the emperor’s household affairs?” Old Madam Lu asked.
“Should we just do nothing?” Madam Lu asked grudgingly. If it weren’t for the old woman, she would’ve rushed to the palace gates by now.
“Doing nothing is helping the wang fei!” Old Madam Lu hollered. She didn’t know what was brewing in this insane woman’s mind.
“Mother…”
Madam Lu was interjected before she could say another word.
“Do not inquire about it any more. What we know now is enough, when the time comes we shall know more about the matter. I’m tired. Return.” Old Madam Lu dismissed the eldest daughter-in-law, so as not to cause her more headaches.
“Mother, I’ll take my leave,” she said reluctantly.
Just then, she glimpsed at Pei Shi, who had been silent all along, her head bowed. Her blood boiled at her serene countenance. She was living in peace while her daughter was going through hell. She could not endure it. Since she could not say a word to the old woman, she decided to direct her frustration to her.
“Third Sister, the matter I mentioned last time, you had better think about it. We are all members of this family. You cannot always let the Eldest Household bear the burden of the whole family. Yaoyao is not a child anymore. This is your last chance. Had you heeded, someone would have been of help to the wang fei now.”
Pei Shi’s face turned red in anger as she raised her head. “Eldest Sister, I would never consider. You need not to talk about this again.”
“How can you be so selfish? Do you not have any share of responsibility in this family?” Madame Lu cried.
Pei Shi sneered. “Let me marry my daughter on an auspicious day, and let her live a happy life. Elder Sister, marrying off my daughter to a widower… hmph! Over my dead body!
“You…” Madam Lu stared angrily at Pei Shi, pointing her finger towards the latter as she almost swore.
Bang!
The tea cup landed on the table heavily, the table shook and the whole hall descended into silence.
Old Madam Lu’s face was dark. She glowered at Madam Lu icily.
“Liu Shi, do you think I’m dead? When have you had the right to decide on the marriage of the ladies in our family? Why don’t you marry off your own daughter as you like to be a relative by marriage to the Liang Family? After all, Yaoyao is not the eldest unmarried miss in this family!”
“Mother, I was just saying…”
When the wang fei had sent people over to deliver gifts, it also included a reminder: No matter what, she needed to marry off Lu Yaoyao, otherwise, it would negatively affect her status within the palace. However, Madam Lu did not dare reveal her daughter’s intentions as such.
At that time, Madam Lu had thought her daughter was unreasonably anxious and did not take it to heart. She too, after all, was aware of the latter’s excessive paranoia. Moreover, she had never considered Lu Yaoyao a threat nor anticipated that her daughter’s position would be threatened.
But now she knew better. She saw Lu Yaoyao was not what she appeared to be. She was a fox veiled as an innocent doe. She was as it is not easy to handle, and now she was living in the academy making it even harder for her to rein her in. This was why she had approached Pei Shi, who could be fooled easily, to agree to the marriage. However, who knew she was a stubborn mule and would reject all advice? Instead, the old lady was enraged.
“I’m still alive. You are in no position to argue!” Old Madam Lu grunted and put an end to the topic.
“Yes, mother.” Madam Lu’s mouth twitched. Now, more than ever, she felt that the Third Household’s presence in the capital would only bode them ill. One after the other things were falling out of place. The old madam is simply biased.
Old Madam Lu gave her a sidelong glance, as if reading her thoughts. “If there are no matters in the future, do not go outside. Did you not just recover? Don’t fall ill again.”
“Yes!” Madam Lu was so upset, that she felt like cursing the damned old woman in front of her.
With a flick of her sleeve, she left in a huff.