Chapter 106: The Filial Lu Chao Chao

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“Who… who did you just call?” Madam Xu stared blankly at Lu Jing Yao, disbelief etched across her face.

Lu Jing Yao snorted dismissively. “The Marquis is my father!”

“I am not some illegitimate child! I am the Marquis’s biological daughter!”

Lu Jing Yao, possessing the soul of an adult, seized the chance to elevate herself.

A sudden silence fell.

The gathered crowd turned their stunned gazes to her, including Madam Xu, who swayed as if struck by lightning.

“So… Pei Jiao Jiao was actually the Marquis’s mistress?”

“Then… wouldn’t that make Lu Jing Yao and Lu Jing Huai his biological children? No wonder the Marquis has been promoting Lu Jing Huai—it’s his own bloodline!”

“Now that you mention it, Lu Jing Huai really does resemble the children of the Lu family. As it turns out, they’re actually brothers!”

The revelation left everyone astounded. Their thoughts drifted to Lu Jing Huai and Lu Yan Shu—close in age and now proven to be true siblings. Sympathy crept into their eyes as they glanced at Madam Xu.

Eighteen years of conjugal bliss turned out to be a lie? The capital’s famously harmonious couple was a façade all along?

“Despicable! To think he’s such a sanctimonious fraud!” The Eldest Princess’s face darkened as she berated him openly. She had long suspected the truth, but Madam Xu had been too deeply invested to see reason. Judging by Madam Xu’s reaction now, it seemed she had made her decision.

Lu Yuan Ze couldn’t bring himself to meet Madam Xu’s tear-filled eyes. Today’s scandal was supposed to ensnare her—not him!

“Hysteria induced by intimacy!” someone in the crowd whispered knowingly. “If not treated immediately, he might die in such a compromising position!”

The comment was like a slap to Lu Yuan Ze, who nearly fainted from mortification. Just imagining the rumors that would follow made him want to die on the spot. Beside him, Pei Jiao Jiao covered her face in shame. She had dreamt of ascending to power but never in such a manner!

Madam Xu fainted abruptly, leaving chaos in her wake. Even in her unconscious state, she despised the public humiliation. The gathering stood frozen, unsure how to proceed.

Lu Wan Yi’s face alternated between pale and flushed as she stammered, “I… I’ll fetch Mother.”

Unaccustomed to such a spectacle, Lu Wan Yi fled, her head lowered in embarrassment.

When the Old Madam arrived, she was utterly shattered by the scene before her. Seeing the two entwined figures, she hastily threw a blanket over them.

“Idiots!” she cursed under her breath. “Hurry, summon a doctor! Quickly!”

The Old Madam understood the gravity of the situation. Shame and fear coursed through her as she trembled, bowing deeply to the guests. “This unexpected turn of events is disgraceful. I beg you, distinguished guests, to keep this matter confidential.”

“Nanny, see our guests out,” she ordered, her voice shaking with anger. Shame weighed heavily on her; her son and Pei Jiao Jiao had been caught red-handed in such a disgraceful state. Worse yet, separating them now could result in death.

Though the Old Madam had once favored Pei Jiao Jiao, her resentment boiled over. Her son’s life was irreplaceable, far more valuable than any mistress. After all, her grandson hadn’t even secured his title yet!

“Take Jing Yao away! How could she remain here? It’s utterly inappropriate!” she barked.

The maid obeyed, carrying Lu Jing Yao out of the room. However, now that she was known as the mistress’s daughter, the respect she once commanded had vanished. After all, the Marquis’s household thrived solely on Madam Xu’s contributions.

“Old Madam, the doctor has arrived,” the maid reported.

Despite her advanced age, the Old Madam found herself managing the aftermath of her son’s scandal. “Is Madam Xu awake?” she asked, holding onto faint hope that Madam Xu might clean up Lu Yuan Ze’s mess.

“She is awake,” the nanny replied hesitantly, “but she’s crying so hard she’s near fainting again…”

The Old Madam was furious. “Useless! A man sleeps with another woman, and she collapses like this? Such weakness!”

“She’s had eighteen years as the wife while Jiao Jiao suffered as a mistress! Her disabled son even holds the heir’s title—what more could she possibly want?” she grumbled, resigned to handle matters herself.

The physician’s assessment brought little comfort. “The organ is engorged. Forceful separation could lead to instant death.”

The Old Madam’s panic deepened. To summon the Imperial Physicians would bring immense humiliation, possibly reaching the palace itself.

“But without the Imperial Physicians, the Marquis might lose his life,” the nanny pleaded.

Grinding his teeth, Lu Yuan Ze finally relented. “Call them.”

It had been a catastrophic mistake. A few drinks had dulled his senses, and now he was paying the price. Pei Jiao Jiao trembled with fear, daring not to speak further.

The Imperial Physicians arrived late at night. After exhausting their strength, golden needles finally freed the two. Lu Yuan Ze collapsed in exhaustion, his gaze filled with dread as he thought of the humiliation ahead.

Meanwhile, Madam Xu sat calmly on her bed. “Begin tallying the dowry and all expenses since my marriage. Gather every deed and record.”

Her maid, Deng Zhi, flipped through the account books. “Madam, even this estate’s walls barely qualify as belonging to the Marquis’s family. Everything else was funded by you.”

The prospect of a divorce loomed, and Madam Xu seemed poised to leave the Marquis’s household destitute.

As for Lu Chao Chao? She darted around like a curious squirrel, desperate to learn the scandalous details.

“What kind of wind? What horse? What are you all talking about?” she huffed, stomping her feet in frustration. [What secret is everyone sharing that I’m not allowed to hear? Let me in on it too!]

Her brothers blushed and scolded her gently, while servants avoided her with awkward smiles. Lu Chao Chao’s persistence turned her into the unwitting herald of the scandal.

“Uncle, what’s penis captivus?”

“Auntie, what is penis captivus?”

By mid-morning, Lu Chao Chao had inadvertently spread the tale of the Marquis Zhongyong and his mistress across the entire capital!

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