Chapter 100: Chao Chao’s Great Merit
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
Before nightfall, Lu Jing Yao was sent back to the Pei household. Standing tearfully at the entrance, she hugged the Old Madam tightly, unwilling to part.
“Jing Yao doesn’t want to leave Grandmother. Jing Yao can’t bear to be apart from you,” she sobbed, leaning her head on the Old Madam’s shoulder.
“Why can’t we, as a family, live together?” Lu Jing Yao’s tearful words pierced the Old Madam’s heart like a dagger.
“Meeting Father and Grandmother, yet having to act as strangers… Jing Yao feels so sad,” she cried softly.
The Old Madam’s heart ached as she stroked her darling granddaughter’s back.
“It’s all because of those despicable women who took Jing Yao’s rightful place. Don’t cry, dear. You are the treasured gem of the Marquis’s Manor. The Abbot of the National Temple said you are blessed, so you mustn’t cry. It pains Grandmother deeply.”
Her tender gaze on Jing Yao’s delicate and lovable face was filled with affection. How unlike Lu Chao Chao, whose clumsy words and irritating demeanor always riled her up.
“Yao Yao, come along with me.” Lu Jing Huai, dressed in a flowing azure robe, stood outside the Marquis’s Manor. The refined young man’s presence caused passersby to turn their heads.
The Old Madam hesitated, her lips trembling as she looked at Lu Jing Huai.
“Soon, soon,” she murmured.
“You and your sister have suffered grievances for too long.”
[That vile woman’s child… What right does he have to compare with them?] she thought bitterly.
Rumor had it the Emperor intended to appoint a tutor for the Crown Prince. Should Lu Jing Huai achieve the Triple Crown of Excellence, his path to becoming the Crown Prince’s Tutor would be secured.
And what of Lu Yan Shu? A cripple occupying the heir’s position at the Marquis’s Manor—how could he possibly be deserving?
The Old Madam’s heart overflowed with pride as she watched her beloved grandchildren.
“Old Madam, I’ll take my sister home now. Please take care of your health and avoid catching a chill,” Lu Jing Huai said politely, bowing with a refined detachment. His clothing, made from last year’s material, betrayed the family’s financial strain.
This sight caused the Old Madam’s heart to ache even more.
[My own grandson… my own blood!] she lamented silently, her anguish deepening as the two siblings walked away.
After they were out of sight, the Old Madam heaved a sorrowful sigh and returned to the manor. She silently cursed Madam Xu, blaming her entirely for their misfortunes. [How dare she investigate dowries so brazenly, forcing Madam Pei to compensate with the household’s wealth, leaving the children to endure hardships?]
Her vengeful gaze turned toward Listening Wind Courtyard, brimming with resentment. [Madam Xu, you have blocked our path.]
…
That evening, Lu Yan Shu sat in his wheelchair, his expression unreadable as he observed the unfolding scene.
“Let’s go. It’s time to read,” he said calmly, gripping a scroll in his hand. Regardless of the situation, a book was always within his grasp.
[How laughable. A cripple… paralyzed entirely. Yet, they fail to notice the book in my hand? My father, my grandmother—they only see their hatred for me occupying the heir’s position.]
His gaze darkened. [My ‘righteous’ father and ‘virtuous’ grandmother, relying on Mother’s dowry to support another family. How shameless. Mother may be soft, but her children will not be weak or easily bullied!]
His eyes burned with determination.
[Fortunately, we have Chao Chao. She saved the family.]
…
The next day, Lu Chao Chao was summoned to the palace. Bundled up in layers of thick cotton clothing, she struggled to move her little arms and legs.
“Too… too much… Feels… feels like a ball,” she grumbled, frustrated.
Deng Zhi, cautious as ever, replied, “Young Mistress, although spring has begun, the melting snow is still cold. Better safe than sorry.”
Despite having never fallen ill, precautions were always wise.
With her cheeks puffed in frustration, Lu Chao Chao alighted from the sedan. The snow in the palace had been cleared, piled on either side of the paths. As she climbed the steps, her footing slipped, and she tumbled headfirst into a snowbank.
Plop! Snow sprayed everywhere.
“Help… help… save me!” Chao Chao flailed her legs helplessly, her head buried in the snow.
Peals of laughter erupted nearby.
“Look, someone’s stuck in the snowbank! Hahaha, like a giant radish!”
Startled, Deng Zhi rushed forward, pulling Chao Chao out as if harvesting a radish. Chao Chao’s face turned bright red with fury.
“Laugh? Laugh? You’re not allowed to laugh!” she scolded the boy who had been laughing heartily.
The young man’s attire hinted at an exotic origin, his golden-hued eyes confirming his foreign lineage.
“That’s the Hostage Prince Xuan Ji Chuan from Eastern Ling,” Yu Qin whispered.
“Hostage Prince? What’s that?” Chao Chao asked, her curiosity piqued.
Yu Shu replied coolly, “A symbol of a weak nation—sent as a pawn and usually unloved at home.”
“Oh…” Chao Chao’s tone stretched out as her eyes filled with pity.
“So, he’s just a poor, unloved brother?”
Xuan Ji Chuan’s face twisted in disbelief. [Is this child even polite?!]
Seeing her anger, he quickly apologized.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh. Usually, I don’t… unless I can’t help it.”
He stifled another chuckle. [The little one’s round form tumbling into the snow—too funny. Stop! Don’t think about it, or I’ll laugh again!]
Chao Chao tilted her head, studying him curiously.
“Huh, you seem familiar. Have we met before?”
Xuan Ji Chuan gazed at her earnestly and bowed.
“Thank you for saving my sister, Xuan Yin. My name is Xuan Ji Chuan.”
The young prince’s demeanor softened. [Both my sister and I were pawns in our nation’s politics, unloved at home.]
Hearing Xuan Yin’s name, Chao Chao’s anger vanished. A child’s emotions shifted quickly.
“You’re welcome,” she said politely, waving her tiny hand.
[Isn’t he one of the future admirers of Lu Jing Yao?]
“Miss Lu, His Majesty is waiting for you in the Imperial Study,” a palace attendant reminded her.
“Ah! I forgot!” Chao Chao exclaimed, smacking her forehead before scrambling up the steps. Her unstable footing prompted Deng Zhi to scoop her up.
…
Inside the Imperial Study, the warmth of the chamber made Chao Chao sigh in contentment.
“So warm!” she exclaimed, shedding her outer coat and stretching her tiny arms.
“Chao Chao, come here. Your Imperial Uncle has prepared gifts for you. Let’s see if you like them,” the Emperor said cheerfully.
“You, my dear, have rendered great service this time.”
He counted off her achievements with pride.
“Rescuing abducted women. Recruiting Song Yu into our fold. Saving Princess Xuan Yin and the sole heir of Chief Minister Yuan. Outstanding! Outstanding!”
Hearing the repeated praises of her merit, Chao Chao’s eyes sparkled.
[Service rendered? Does that mean gifts? I love gifts!]
But as her gaze fell on a stern old man seated before her, her enthusiasm waned. His piercing stare made her shrink back instinctively.
“Who is this old grandfather?” she asked cautiously.
The Emperor chuckled.
“This is Chief Minister Yuan, grandfather to Yuan Man and one of the greatest scholars of our time. In fact, he stands alongside your own maternal grandfather as a peerless pillar of the empire.”
Chao Chao’s instincts screamed danger. [This doesn’t feel good…]
“You are naturally bright but lack guidance. I’ve gone to great lengths to convince Chief Minister Yuan to become your tutor. Aren’t you delighted?” the Emperor beamed.
Chao Chao’s eyes widened, her small face scrunching up in frustration.
[This is betrayal!]
This makes me even more skeptical of the rumor that the top exam scorer will be the crown prince’s teacher. Why dude that when there are dudes like this with tons of practical experience?
The crown prince is young, and these men are old. Normally the crown prince need a youth with great academic knowledge, good family and social network. He will require the services of his grand tutor till old age and this grand tutor might still be able to teach his heir.
How stupid is the grandmother saying tht b***h child was her grandchildren like madam xu child isn’t her grandchildren too??