Chapter 163: A Life Borrowed for Lu Chao Chao
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
Madam Xu hailed from a family of wealth and generosity, well-known for their extravagant spending. Over the years, despite the lavish lifestyle, the old matriarch had saved over fifty thousand taels. However, after Madam Pei’s mishap during a shopping trip—which ended in Madam Xu publicly apprehending her—the family had to spend thirty thousand taels to restore the dowry. Another twenty thousand went into repairs after Madam Xu’s divorce, leaving the marquis’s residence desolate and starkly impoverished.
Yet, despite the dwindling resources, Madam Xu’s history of lavish spending was legendary; she once spent twenty thousand taels on a single decorative screen. Now, the entire household budget was barely twenty thousand taels—a truly bare household.
Madam Xu possessed a knack for generating wealth, a skill so rare it could have made her a contender for the royal merchant title, had she been born a man. But such aspirations never concerned her.
The old matriarch, once accustomed to the luxuries of endless abalone and bird’s nest soup, now had to settle for simple vermicelli dishes.
“Mother, three hundred taels might be a bit too scanty…” Madam Pei suggested timidly, holding a silver note and facing the old matriarch’s ire.
“I must have owed you in a past life!” the old matriarch exclaimed angrily. All that remained of her wealth were six thousand taels—her burial funds! Having relished eighteen years of prosperity with Madam Xu, the old matriarch was unprepared for such destitution.
Since Madam Pei’s arrival in the family, there had been significant cutbacks on food and clothing, stirring discontent among the servants—and she was no exception.
Madam Xu, known for her seasonal wardrobes and generous jewelry expenditures, was a stark contrast to Madam Pei’s frugality.
“Add another two hundred taels!” the old matriarch commanded begrudgingly.
Madam Pei, accepting the total of five hundred taels, noticed her mother-in-law’s displeasure and bit her lip.
“Mother, our family has been rather unlucky lately. Yao Yao wishes to make an offering…” she reasoned softly, her logic momentarily quelling the old matriarch’s anger.
“Since the marquis’s divorce and demotion by His Majesty, misfortune has plagued us. Jin Huai failed his exams, fell ill, and lost the scholar title he deserved to Lu Yan Shu. A string of misfortunes, don’t you think?” Madam Pei continued.
The old matriarch’s expression softened slightly, but was quickly interrupted by Lu Jing Yao’s comment, “All of our family’s luck seems to have gone to Lu Chao Chao. She collects the court’s debts and even became Princess Sunshine… Our family’s fortunes have declined.”
Madam Pei glanced at the old matriarch, who looked visibly disturbed.
“I’ve heard some people can absorb others’ luck…” Lu Jing Yao added thoughtfully.
“No wonder this year has been so unfortunate! That wretched girl should have been drowned at birth!” the old matriarch muttered with a hint of malice. “Now protected by Madam Xu, what can we do?” she lamented, frustrated at not eliminating Lu Chao Chao sooner.
“I’ve heard that borrowing a person’s birth date and name can transfer their fate,” Lu Jing Yao mentioned casually.
The old matriarch’s brow twitched at the thought, choosing to remain silent thereafter.
Once the old matriarch departed, Madam Pei embraced Lu Jing Yao, their room filled with incense to mask the foul odor.
“Mother, Yao Yao is so unwilling to accept this!” The venomous girl seethed.
“My poor Yao Yao, don’t worry. Mother will avenge you. Her wretched life won’t last much longer!” Madam Pei consoled, clutching the five hundred taels.
“Mother, you should visit Zhuque Street,” Lu Jing Yao suggested.
Madam Pei was taken aback, “Zhuque Street? That’s where the former royal criminals reside.”
After the previous dynasty was overthrown, the new king spared their lives out of mercy—a decision that won him the allegiance of many former officials, though he never ceased his surveillance of Zhuque Street, wary of any lingering loyalty to the old regime.
“The Xue family still harbors hopes of overthrowing North Zhao. But their only royal bloodline is fading…” Madam Pei’s eyes sparkled with a scheming glint after the last comment by her daughter.
Lu Chao Chao, now Princess Sunshine and a confidante of the king, was despised by the Xue family. If they could use her life to bolster the Xue lineage, they could potentially challenge the throne!
Under cover of dawn, Madam Pei discreetly sent her lover out of the city with a plan: “Shave your head and become a monk. In three days, I’ll reintroduce you to the marquis’s residence as a revered abbot.”
He left, filled with joy at their secret scheme.
Madam Pei then roamed near Zhuque Street, cautiously avoiding direct contact with the Xue family to safeguard her life. She subtly spread rumors that Princess Sunshine had a powerful birth date and extraordinary fortune, which piqued the Xue family’s interest.
“Never lose track of Chao Chao’s birth details; beware of those trying to steal her luck,” Madam Pei warned her maid, who secured the vital document in her pouch.
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
After more wandering, they returned home. At the gate, Madam Pei asked, “Is the paper with the birth details still there?”
The maid checked her pouch, only to find it empty.
Madam Pei smiled, rewarding the maid with a silver piece, satisfied with her day’s manipulations.
Meanwhile, King Xuan Ping brooded over the Xue family’s audacity.
“Sacrifice? What right does the Xue family have to request a sacrifice? If not for the former king’s leniency, their tombs would have been destroyed!” he fumed.
“The old officials claim loyalty to me but covertly favor the previous dynasty! Now, I can’t act against them!” he lamented, his rage barely contained.
The crown prince reviewed the reports: “Many officials support the Xue family’s plea for a sacrifice?”
“They must be desperate to sustain the last of their royal lineage,” the king speculated coldly.
“If we could completely sever the former dynasty’s hope, stability would be assured,” he mused, pondering the potential end of the Xue bloodline.
“Our spies report that the Xue family plans to borrow a life… to save Xue Huang,” the chief eunuch revealed, cautiously.
“Borrow a life? They claim this could restore the man’s health?” the king queried incredulously, his laughter belying his anger.
“Whose life do they intend to borrow? To overthrow North Zhao?” he scoffed.
“Princess Sunshine’s,” the grand eunuch disclosed hesitantly.
The king’s fleeting smile vanished.
“Who did you say?! They want to borrow whose life?!” he erupted in fury.
The crown prince chuckled, “This is excellent news! Perfect timing! Father, you’ve truly secured a valuable ally. Your worries will soon be over!”
Indeed, this revelation could eliminate all future threats. After all, the life of Lu Chao Chao was not something mere mortals could simply borrow!