Chapter 169: Sacred Relic of North Zhao
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
Madam Xu clasped her hand over her mouth, tears streaming through her fingers.
In her panic, she urgently summoned the Lu brothers: Lu Yan Shu, Lu Zheng Yue, and Lu Yuan Xiao.
“Chao Chao… Chao Chao has no heartbeat,” Madam Xu sobbed uncontrollably.
The three brothers turned pale.
Lu Yan Shu took a deep breath and leaned down, pressing his ear against Chao Chao’s chest. After a long silence…
He stood up without a word.
Lu Yuan Xiao grew anxious, but Lu Yan Shu raised his index finger to his lips, motioning for them to talk outside.
Madam Xu’s eyes were bloodshot, and her hands and feet were ice-cold.
“It’s true; Chao Chao has no heartbeat,” Lu Yan Shu declared, his tone heavy. The brothers felt an ominous chill settle in their hearts.
“How is that possible? How can someone live without a heart? Chao Chao eats, sleeps, runs, and jumps—how can she not have a heart?” Lu Zheng Yue, who had returned home that very day, was so startled he nearly leapt out of his skin.
“A person without a heart would normally die. But Chao Chao… perhaps…” Lu Yan Shu hesitated before continuing, “she is not an ordinary human.”
“She may seem lighthearted, but sometimes, when you catch her thoughts, you can tell she was once someone extraordinary.”
“Mother, you must never allow an outsider to feel Chao Chao’s pulse. And never let this leak out.”
Madam Xu wiped her tears and nodded repeatedly.
“The Crown Prince told me this himself,” Madam Xu revealed, recounting her earlier conversation. “It seems he knows a great deal about Chao Chao’s past. He said that if Chao Chao were ever in danger, I should inform him at the Eastern Palace.”
Lu Yan Shu nodded thoughtfully. He had long suspected that the Crown Prince and Chao Chao were somehow connected.
“Mother, Chao Chao is not in any immediate danger. Please, don’t worry.”
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Chao Chao is blessed with great fortune; surely the heavens will protect her.”
Madam Xu nodded again, though her heart remained heavy. After her sons left, she spent the entire night sleepless.
At dawn, Lu Yan Shu arrived at the Eastern Palace.
As soon as he stepped out of the carriage, the gatekeeper approached with a bow. “The Crown Prince predicted you’d come and ordered me to wait here for you. Please, Young Master Lu, this way…”
Lu Yan Shu paused, momentarily taken aback.
Inside the study, the Crown Prince was already waiting.
“I knew you wouldn’t be at ease and would come to seek me,” the Crown Prince said, pouring tea for Lu Yan Shu.
“Chao Chao’s heart is stored in an exceptionally safe place. Rest assured, no one can harm her in the slightest,” he said with a smile. “This life is hers to enjoy, free from harm.”
“You need not ask further. What you are meant to know will be revealed in time.”
“Raising Chao Chao is your family’s blessing,” the Crown Prince said. “You and your family were once fated for tragedy. It is because of Chao Chao that your destinies have been rewritten.”
His gaze drifted toward the Nine-Level Pagoda, his eyes unfocused, as if lost in thought.
When Lu Yan Shu returned home, Chao Chao was already up. The little one had changed into new clothes, her smile as bright as crescent moons.
“Wu’m gonna get da gamble moneys!” she chirped.
During the Provincial Exam, Lu Yan Shu’s wagers had won her a small fortune.
“Mother, why do you keep staring at Chao Chao?” the little girl asked, touching her face. Why was her mother always sneaking glances at her?
Madam Xu startled. “You must have imagined it,” she said hurriedly, averting her gaze.
Chao Chao scratched her head in confusion. Did she imagine it?
Chao Chao and Xuan Ji Chuan headed to the gambling house, only to find a chaotic crowd at its entrance.
“Refund our money!”
“You tricked us into betting on Lu Jing Huai, claiming he had true talent!”
“This is our hard-earned silver! Lu Jing Huai made us lose everything!”
“Lu Jing Huai’s so-called genius is a sham. He’s not even fit to hold a candle to Lu Yan Shu!” The angry mob shouted curses at the gambling house.
“If it weren’t for your manipulation, we never would have bet on Lu Jing Huai!”
Xuan Ji Chuan elbowed through the crowd with the guards. “Make way! We’re here to collect our winnings.”
“Shopkeeper, we bet on Lu Yan Shu to win. Here’s our proof,” Xuan Ji Chuan said, handing over the receipts.
The shopkeeper, pelted with rotten eggs, wore a miserable expression as he inspected the slips.
The bets placed on Lu Yan Shu had won a fortune. Those few had become the biggest winners, leaving the shopkeeper with a splitting headache.
“These slips are valid,” Xuan Ji Chuan said coldly. “And this is Princess Sunshine herself. You’d best think carefully before offending someone you can’t afford to.”
The shopkeeper froze in fear. “My deepest apologies! Please, this way to settle the account…”
The crowd could only watch as Lu Chao Chao walked away with 40,000 taels of silver banknotes, their eyes red with envy.
“My big brother is a true genius,” Chao Chao gloated, her eyes squinting in delight. “Unlike that fraud, Lu Jing Huai.”
“Will there be another gamble during the Spring Exams?” she asked cheekily.
The crowd frantically shook their heads, now in awe of Lu Yan Shu’s genuine talent.
Later, as Chao Chao and Xuan Ji Chuan left, they noticed Lu Jing Huai heading toward the Embassy of Western Yue, a puzzled look on Xuan Ji Chuan’s face.
“Odd. Lu Jing Huai’s wedding is in three days, yet he’s still frequenting the Saintess Jing Li?”
“That Jiang girl’s engagement was something he snatched from Young Master Yan Shu. And now he fawns over Saintess Jing Li daily. How shameless.”
“Jiang Yun Jin must regret it deeply now. She betrayed Yan Shu despite him risking his life for her,” Xuan Ji Chuan snickered. “Serves her right.”
Chao Chao’s eyes glinted mischievously. “Saintess Jing Li? Hehehe… Big scandal incoming!”
Returning home with the silver, Chao Chao happily handed the money to her mother.
“Mother, Chao Chao can support the family now!” she said, standing on her tiptoes to present the banknotes.
Seeing her daughter acting as if nothing was amiss, Madam Xu finally felt the burden in her heart lift slightly.
“Ah, my judgment of men may have been poor, but my children—each one outshines the last!” she sighed. Indeed, her life’s pride was all thanks to her children’s accomplishments.
“Tomorrow is the Stabilizing Duke’s mother’s sixtieth birthday. Would you like to accompany me?”
The celebration was expected to be grand, with civil and military officials all attending. The Stabilizing Duke’s Mother, after all, was the Empress’s own mother.
Chao Chao nodded enthusiastically.
[Chao Chao doesn’t have much to gift. How about a Longevity Talisman?] she thought to herself.
[Three extra years of life… Hmm, is that impressive enough? Uncle Rong has been kind to me…]
Madam Xu nearly choked. “Three years? That’s more than enough!” she exclaimed inwardly. She couldn’t help but wonder—what exactly was her Chao Chao? Exorcism, life extension, house-guarding—she could do it all. How did she deserve such a miraculous child?
That night, news spread of angry gamblers pelting the Marquis Zhongyong’s residence with rotten vegetables and eggs.
The Marquis, however, remained indifferent. Meanwhile, the monks invited by Madam Pei continued their prayers in the Buddha Hall, hoping to cleanse the household’s misfortune.
Yeah you’ll definitely show your “sincerity” all night “reciting scriptures” lol