Chapter 159: The Saintess Jing Li’s Secret
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
Late at night, Lu Chao Chao tiptoed out of her residence.
Riding on Windchaser, with Yu Shu and Yu Qin in tow, she arrived beneath the mansion wall. Windchaser barked twice, prompting a man to leap over the wall. With a few swift movements, the man had already carried Lu Chao Chao outside the mansion.
Rong Che whispered, “Where do you want me to take you? But don’t let your mother know it was me who brought you out!”
Lu Chao Chao patted her chest. “Don’t worry. Chao Chao won’t tell on you!”
“To the Marquis’s manor,” she declared.
Rong Che carefully avoided the guards while carrying Lu Chao Chao. Soon, they reached the gates of the Marquis’s residence.
“Why are you bringing this thing? It stinks!” Rong Che pinched his nose, clearly disgusted.
Sneaking out late at night was one thing, but bringing a pile of manure?
“Chao Chao needs it!” Lu Chao Chao declared with confidence.
She knew the outer wall of the Marquis’s manor had a dog hole. “You wait here, o’kay?” she gestured to Rong Che before crawling through the dog hole with Yu Shu.
Rong Che scratched his head, baffled. How had things escalated to this point? He only wanted to win over Madam Xu’s children and have them speak well of him. But now he was helping Lu Chao Chao commit mischief and keeping watch outside? This didn’t feel quite right.
…
Inside the Marquis’s manor, Lu Chao Chao led Yu Shu forward stealthily. However, what she anticipated—needing to avoid guards—turned out to be unnecessary. Madam Pei had reduced the number of guards to save on expenses, leaving the manor poorly protected. The duo wandered about openly, encountering no resistance.
From a distance, they heard maids’ complaints:
“That heartless woman! Even our meager wages get cut!”
“If you can’t afford it, why play the role of a Marchioness?”
“She only shows off in front of us. Outside, she’s too afraid to say a word!”
“Alright, enough. Be careful, or Madam will hear and scold us again,” one maid cautioned.
Another maid retorted angrily, “And what if she hears? Who ever heard of a Madam docking the maids’ wages? She’s the one who squandered money, yet blames us for it!”
“Docked my wages for half a year!”
“A mistress is a mistress. She can’t compare to Madam Xu from a noble family! Madam Xu was generous and kind. Life was much better before.”
With sighs, they lamented, “Why did the Marquis favor Madam Pei and drive Madam Xu away?”
“And the eldest son! He used to be paralyzed, but now he’s topped the provincial exams. I bet the Old Madam must be beside herself with regret.”
“If the eldest son earns the Triple Crown and becomes the top scholar, Madam Pei might just die from anger.”
“I saw Madam Xu today. In just a year, she looks even more beautiful than Madam Pei! You should’ve seen Madam Pei’s face—absolutely priceless.”
The maids laughed maliciously.
“These days, we earn less than a third of what we did under Madam Xu. Life is so hard now,” they sighed. “When the master has no virtue, even the servants suffer.”
…
Peeking through a window, Lu Chao Chao saw a maid spitting into Madam Pei’s teacup. Covering her mouth, the little troublemaker chuckled quietly.
Roaming around the courtyard, she eventually arrived at the Virtue and Kindness Hall.
She first checked on the rag doll she had placed there.
The rag doll and the Buddha statue were gone, likely discarded in despair by the Old Madam, who no longer found solace in prayer.
Lu Chao Chao moved deeper into the hall, where dim lights illuminated the medicinal smell pervading the air. Covering her nose, she whispered, “It smells sickly in here.”
The Old Madam lay on a couch, a wet towel on her forehead, groaning from her splitting headache as Nanny Lin massaged her legs.
“Old Madam, don’t fret too much,” Nanny Lin consoled. “Young Master Jing Huai is hailed as a genius across the capital. Although he fared poorly in this recent exam due to illness, he’ll surely redeem himself in the upcoming metropolitan exams.”
The Old Madam’s tone was bitter. “I’ve doted on him more than on Yan Shu. I even removed Yan Shu from the family registry for his sake. He must succeed.” Her voice turned resolute. “He can lose to anyone but Yan Shu! If he does, the Marquis’s household will lose all face.”
She sighed regretfully. [If only I had waited another year!]
“Let us hope the next exams will salvage our pride and overshadow Yan Shu’s accomplishments,” she muttered.
Nanny Lin attempted to reassure her. “Young Master Jing Huai will surely return with the title of top scholar. And remember, the abbot of the National Temple foretold that the Marquis’s household would produce both a top scholar and a Heaven’s Mandate Noblewoman. Surely, this prophecy cannot be false.”
The Old Madam’s frown eased slightly. “True. If the abbot said it, it must be so.”
“Rub my legs more. They’ve gone numb,” she ordered weakly. Since Madam Pei’s arrival, even the family physician had been dismissed, and it had been over half a year since she’d had a proper check-up.
Outside, Yu Shu muttered angrily, “Dreaming of becoming a top scholar? Utter nonsense.”
…
Quietly, Lu Chao Chao and Yu Shu made their way toward Lu Jing Huai’s courtyard. The guards were lax and inattentive, their morale crushed by Madam Pei’s relentless penny-pinching.
Lu Jing Huai now resided in the courtyard that once belonged to Lu Yan Shu. The place was eerily silent.
Lu Chao Chao stopped at a distance, overhearing Lu Jing Huai’s voice.
“Deliver this letter personally to the embassy and hand it to Saintess Jing Li.”
The servant chuckled. “Don’t worry, Young Master. I’ll handle it.”
“It seems the Saintess has a special regard for you. She even urged you not to be disheartened by others’ words today.”
“The Saintess treasures your letters dearly. It’s said she holds onto them day and night, often reciting: ‘Through the crowd a thousand times I search, suddenly turning, there she stands beneath the lantern light.’”
A faint smile appeared on Lu Jing Huai’s face.
“Miss Jiang is nothing compared to the Saintess. The Saintess’s noble status makes her a perfect match for you, Young Master,” the servant flattered.
“Enough chatter. Deliver the letter quickly and ensure no word of this reaches the Jiang family,” Lu Jing Huai commanded sternly.
The servant obeyed, hurrying away.
Lu Jing Huai’s brief smile vanished as he sat silently. He had spent the day at the Western Yue embassy. Deep down, he knew his talent could not rival Lu Yan Shu’s, for much of his current success stemmed from plagiarizing Yan Shu’s writings and using poems gifted by his sister. While these measures might secure him a place among the top ranks, facing Lu Yan Shu directly felt like an insurmountable challenge.
[One day, I will reclaim my dignity from those who mocked me today,] he vowed.
…
Yu Shu’s face flushed with indignation. “How dare he pursue Saintess Jing Li? What makes him worthy? I hope she doesn’t fall for his tricks!”
The Saintess was an unattainable dream for all of the capital.
Lu Chao Chao frowned. Pursue the Saintess?
She recalled her third brother saying he’d like to marry someone like Saintess Jing Li one day.
Waving her hands frantically, she exclaimed, “No, no, no! He mustn’t!”
[Heaven forbid anyone provoke Saintess Jing Li.]
With wide eyes, she muttered, “Lu Jing Huai liking Saintess Jing Li? This is going to be so much fun!”
Wasn’t there something up with the Saintess? MC originally seemed interested in her but got kinda disappointed when they actually met?
yeah, there was something up and MC didn’t say what it was