Chapter 329
**Chapter 327: The Lu Sisters**
Li Yuanjing set down his soup bowl. “The second Miss Lu has entered the palace?”
Matters of the harem were entirely managed by Shen Wei, and Li Yuanjing hadn’t expected that the second Miss Lu would make her entrance at such a critical moment.
Elder Gong Zhou replied respectfully, “The Shufei is gravely ill, and the second Miss Lu has come to care for her. What a coincidence! I just saw her on the road. In this biting cold, she was dressed splendidly, even more beautiful than the red plum blossoms in the Imperial Garden.”
Li Yuanjing’s expression turned icy.
Lu Xuan was bedridden with a serious illness, and her sister had come to visit, yet she was dressed to the nines.
If their sisterly bond were truly deep, how could she have dressed so elaborately on purpose?
Clearly, the visit was just a pretext.
Li Yuanjing sneered, “After skinning the Lu family, Duke Lu still doesn’t know when to back off, constantly testing the waters.”
Elder Gong Zhou dared not say more and cautiously withdrew from the inner hall, head bowed.
Li Chengyou had already finished two bowls of black-boned chicken soup, wiped his mouth, and snuggled back into the warm blanket, fast asleep.
Li Chengtai glanced at his father, whose face was as cold as frost, then at his sleeping brother. Silently, he picked up a brush and continued practicing his calligraphy.
...
Lu Yun first went to pay her respects to the noble consort Shen Wei.
Behind a thin gauze curtain, Shen Wei’s true appearance was hidden from view. Lu Yun politely inquired after her well-being, and Shen Wei did not make it difficult for her, instructing her to take good care of the gravely ill Shufei.
As Lu Yun left Yongning Palace, she glanced back at the opulent palace walls, a flicker of envy crossing her eyes. The palace where the noble consort resided was luxurious and warm, even in the depths of winter.
Lu Yun secretly hoped that one day, she too would enjoy the top-tier treatment of a favored consort.
Suppressing her excitement, Lu Yun made her way to the Changxin Palace where her sister lived. It had been a long time since she had entered the palace, and as she stepped into the courtyard of Changxin Palace, she almost thought she had gone to the wrong place.
The courtyard was filled with withered grass and barren trees, with a few plum blossoms blooming crookedly. The silence enveloped the place like a tomb, and the entire Changxin Palace seemed faded, devoid of life.
Lu Yun entered Lu Xuan’s chamber, where the warmth was just right, but the air was thick with the scent of medicine, mingled with a faint metallic tang.
“Second Miss, what brings you here?” the maid Xiao Qi exclaimed in surprise.
Lu Yun forced a smile. “I’ve come to take care of my sister.”
Xiao Qi pursed her lips. “The mistress just took her medicine. I’ll take you to the inner room.”
Lu Yun stepped slowly into the warm inner chamber. As the dark bed curtains were drawn back, she gasped, covering her mouth in shock, her eyes wide with disbelief. The pale, frail woman before her was her once-beautiful sister!
Lu Xuan had become almost skeletal, her complexion ghostly, her lips devoid of color. After giving birth, her health had deteriorated severely, and her hair had fallen out, so she wore a fox fur hat.
“Jie... Jie!” Lu Yun knew her sister was ill, but she had never imagined it was this bad!
Being sisters, seeing Lu Xuan in such a pitiful state made Lu Yun’s heart ache, and tears streamed down her face.
Stumbling to the bedside, she took another look at her sickly sister and called out again, “Jie...”
Lu Xuan leaned weakly against the soft pillow. “Little sister, what brings you here?”
Her voice was hoarse and barely recognizable.
Lu Yun wiped her eyes and grasped Lu Xuan’s thin, cold hand, choking back her sobs. “I was worried about you, so I asked Noble Consort Shen for permission to come and care for you.”
There was a rare sincerity in her words.
Before awakening to the prophetic dreams, Lu Yun had always looked up to Lu Xuan as a role model, and their sisterly bond had been strong.
Lu Xuan tightened her grip on Lu Yun’s hand, her gaze unfocused. “My situation is dire now, and the Lu family is in turmoil. Little sister, stay with me for just two days, then leave the palace immediately... cough, cough... Return to Yunzhou and have Father find you a husband right away. That way, if the Lu family falls, it won’t implicate you.”
Lu Xuan knew that if the Lu family did not change their ways, they would inevitably follow in the footsteps of the Dan Tai and Xie families.
Thus, Lu Yun needed to be married off as soon as possible.
A married daughter becomes part of another family. The Lu family’s misfortunes would not reach Lu Yun.
Trapped in her own predicament, Lu Xuan did not want her innocent and lovely sister to be dragged into an abyss of despair.
“I... I won’t marry! I want to stay with you!” Lu Yun frowned, her fleeting sympathy for Lu Xuan evaporating in an instant.
Lu Xuan coughed violently a couple of times and spoke gently, “Listen to your sister. I won’t harm you. You should return to Yunzhou soon. Don’t marry into a wealthy family; it’s best to choose an ordinary scholar with no background... completely sever ties with the Lu family to ensure your safety.”
Lu Yun lowered her gaze, hiding the resentment in her eyes. “I don’t want to marry a poor scholar.”
In the visions foretold in her dreams, the once-esteemed Lu Xuan had insisted on marrying Lu Yun to a poor official against her wishes, leading to Lu Yun’s tragic demise.
Lu Yun would never repeat that mistake! She wanted to be a consort, she wanted to be an empress!
Her sister’s insistence on marrying her off early was clearly out of fear that she would win the emperor’s favor.
“You’re still young and don’t understand the cruelty of court politics and the harem,” Lu Xuan closed her eyes. “Forget it, I will arrange everything for you.”
Lu Yun silently clenched her teeth and released Lu Xuan’s hand.
Why should her sister be a consort while she, the younger sister, could only marry a poor scholar? Lu Yun was unwilling to accept this fate. She vowed to find a way to win the emperor’s affection and save the Lu family by her own efforts.
...
Yongning Palace.
In the warm chamber, Shen Wei, dressed in thin clothing, savored the warm black-boned chicken soup with delight.
“Your Highness, that Lu Yun entering the palace clearly has ulterior motives. How could you allow her in?” Cai Ping, who was peeling oranges for Shen Wei, said indignantly.
Shen Wei set down her bowl of soup. “Keeping her under my watch is more reassuring.”
There were plenty of Shen Wei’s people throughout the palace; Lu Yun wouldn’t stir up much trouble. When the right opportunity arose, she would deal with both Lu Yun and Lu Xuan to eliminate future threats.
Outside the gauze curtain, Cai Lian came to report, “Your Highness, Princess Donglin requests an audience.”
Shen Wei raised an eyebrow. “Let her in.”
Moments later, Princess Donglin entered the warm chamber respectfully. She removed her thick brocade cloak and paid her respects to Shen Wei.
“Please, sit,” Shen Wei said.
Princess Donglin settled onto a small pearwood stool nearby, rubbing her hands together. “Your Highness’s warm chamber is truly comfortable; it’s as warm as spring inside, much better than the warm chamber at the Yan residence.”
Shen Wei observed Princess Donglin. Since marrying Yan Yunting, she had visibly gained weight, her complexion fair and round, her eyes sparkling with vitality.
She was living quite well at the Yan residence.
Yan Yunting treated her as a substitute for Princess Zhaoyang, compensating for all his guilt by showering Princess Donglin with care. Her clothing, food, and living conditions were among the best in the residence.
Shen Wei asked, “What brings you to see me?”
After finishing a cup of hot red tea, Princess Donglin wiped her mouth and, with a serious expression, said, “As you instructed, I’ve been secretly watching Dan Tai Rou at the Yan residence. I’ve discovered that Dan Tai Rou has connections with Duke Lu and ties to the Southern Chu Kingdom.”
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