Grand Tutor Lu had navigated the imperial court for over a decade, rising from an obscure seventh-rank official to a powerful minister second only to the emperor. He considered himself a true formidable figure of his era.
However, this formidable figure had sired two utterly useless sons.
One was as rigid and proper as a block of wood, the other, a dissolute wastrel indulging in debauchery.
“Lu Yanmo, I truly thought you had finally come to your senses and learned to strategize, only to discover it was all for a woman!”
“Even more laughable is that after losing so many men, you still failed to secure her. You, you’re not even as good as Yanqing!”
Mentioning his second son brought him pain. Though the boy was untalented, he was obedient and knew how to please others. Unlike this block of wood, who was as stubborn as his deceased mother, impervious to reason.
Lu Yanmo’s face turned cold. That vulgar illegitimate son was not fit to be mentioned in the same breath as him.
“Father is still strong and vigorous. Why not just have another obedient child with your concubine!”
“You unfilial wretch! Shut your mouth! Go to the Prime Minister’s mansion and bring Qiu Ying back! If you don’t want me to interfere in your affairs, then do as I say. Otherwise, I’ll see what kind of woman can so captivate this block of yours!”
Grand Tutor Lu did not wish to push things to the extreme. He had only this one son left. Although the boy had never been close to him and always defied his wishes, he still hoped he would continue the Lu family line and strengthen their lineage.
Lu Yanmo, as usual, met his father’s demands with silence.
Finally, Grand Tutor Lu flicked his sleeve and departed.
Zhusheng approached, hesitating, “Young Master, Master is right. We should bring the young madam back first!”
“No.”
He detested that pretentious woman. Ever since their wedding night, she had feigned modesty, presenting a facade of purity while engaging in seduction. He knew then that she was a woman of duplicity, shameless and alluring.
During every intimate encounter, he felt a deep-seated revulsion. If not for the sake of propriety, he wouldn’t even have been willing to perform their conjugal duties twice a month.
Especially the scene when Lu Yanqing was alive, their meeting, the lewd and explicit glances exchanged, the smug enjoyment in secret—it all made him sick.
He would never touch her again. The thought of it felt dirty.
Let the Right Prime Minister be angry; their interests were at stake, and the old fox wouldn’t do anything drastic.
Lu Yanmo, agitated, swept his sleeve and left the mansion, wandering aimlessly until he found himself in a wine shop.
Even when drinking, Lu Yanmo maintained self-control. He was not like his younger illegitimate brother who was perpetually drunk and caused trouble.
In public, he would only drink five cups, though his actual capacity was around fifteen.
However, today, whether due to his mood or some other reason, after only three cups, his head began to spin.
He knew he couldn’t drink anymore. He put down the silver and prepared to leave.
“Hey! Lu the mongrel!” a voice, both unfamiliar and familiar, called out from behind him.
Lu Yanmo instinctively turned, and a foot was already upon him, landing heavily on his stomach.
Lu Yanmo was violently kicked away, the pain in his abdomen stealing his breath for a moment.
A slender woman stood before him, tilting her head triumphantly. “Ha! Take that!”
The shopkeeper cried out in alarm and rushed over, but the woman had already spun around and fled the wine shop.
The pain jolted Lu Yanmo to his senses. That voice… it belonged to the woman who had impersonated Zhiyu. How dare she still be wandering in the capital! It enraged him.
Brushing away the shopkeeper’s attempt to help, Lu Yanmo’s eyes darkened like ink, filled with a chilling frost. Enduring the piercing pain, he chased after her.
Damn that woman!
He would catch her and flay her alive!
On the street, three women walked leisurely. Judging by their attire, the one in the middle was clearly the mistress, shrouded in a thick red cloak, her face hidden by her hat, protected by two lightly clad women flanking her.
“I’ve never explored the capital before. It’s so much livelier than the county town,” a delicate voice, clear and pleasant, remarked. One could tell she was a beauty just by her voice.
Looking at the prosperity of the capital, one might assume the Jing Kingdom was powerful. In reality, it was hollow on the inside, with disasters rampant and people suffering in other regions.
This false prosperity was like rotten wood hollowed out by worms; a gentle push from the outside would cause it to collapse.
The Jing Kingdom was in precarious straits, awaiting a pillar of support to hold up the sky.
“It’s cold now, so there aren’t many people. Wait until spring next year, and it will be even more bustling,” one of the attendants replied.
Born in the imperial city, possessing the highest status, yet never having experienced the streets of the capital—it was truly heartbreaking.
Yuliu, holding a pile of items, said softly, “With the Master’s capabilities, the border will soon be pacified. Then, wherever Miss wishes to go, the Master will accompany her.”
Yes, he would return soon.
Ling Yao, her entire body wrapped in a thick cloak, habitually placed her hands on her abdomen within.
The people around began to move to the side of the road. A luxurious six-wheeled carriage appeared in the center of the street. The carriage was completely covered with thick felt, and the gilded characters “汝” were prominently displayed. Two rows of golden-armored guards accompanied it on either side, exuding solemnity and authority.
“That’s the carriage of the Prince of Runan’s mansion.”
“Is the Prince of Runan inside?”
“The Prince of Runan’s mansion has no mistress, so it must be the Prince of Runan.”
The murmurs of the crowd reached Ling Yao’s ears. She frowned, “Does the Prince of Runan travel with such grandeur?”
She recalled her father saying this royal uncle was a recluse, disliking ostentatious displays?
“According to your servant, the Prince of Runan used to be very low-key, the most approachable of the royal family, and held a good reputation among the people of the capital,” Yuliu whispered.
Then why was he no longer low-key?
The carriage stopped at a jewelry store. Golden-armored guards entered the building and escorted people out.
The guards surrounded the carriage, and it was faintly visible that two people, one in black and one in purple, alighted from the carriage and entered the building side by side.
Those entering a jewelry store were naturally women.
When did the Prince of Runan’s uncle have a woman by his side?
“Yuliu, have someone investigate who the women in the Prince of Runan’s mansion are.”
“Yes, Miss. It’s cold, let’s go back!”
The mistress and her two servants walked towards their carriage parked at the street’s edge, narrowly missing a figure that rapidly swept past.
After walking a hundred paces, Lu Yanmo abruptly stopped, his brow furrowed, then his eyes widened in realization.
He turned back to search, but the street was bustling with pedestrians, and there was no sign of anyone resembling the figure.
However, that scent… that elegant, subtle fragrance, he had never encountered it on anyone else.
It was her, it had to be her!
He frantically searched the nearby streets and shops again and again, but the fleeting fragrance vanished amidst the crowd.
“So close, just a little bit closer.”
Why had she run so fast just now!
He had missed her, missed her again!