Chapter 77: Provoking Father to Tears
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
The first day of the Lunar New Year.
The Emperor and Crown Prince both sported red-painted nails, a mark of recent festivities. Snow blanketed the skies once more, and the palace gates were nearing closure.
Lu Zheng Yue hesitated briefly before the palace hall, only to see the Crown Prince stepping out, cradling a small child in his arms. Little Lu Chao Chao clung to him like an octopus, clutching a warm milk bottle in her tiny hands. Her long, thick lashes rested heavily over her eyelids, nearly concealing her drowsy gaze. Almost asleep, she continued sipping rhythmically on her bottle, unable to let go of her nighttime feeding habit.
“Your Highness, allow me to take Chao Chao,” Lu Zheng Yue said softly.
The Crown Prince shook his head and replied carefully, “She’s not yet fully asleep. If she wakes up, it will be troublesome. I’ll escort you both out of the palace.”
“Take my sedan chair; otherwise, you might not make it before the gates close.”
Chao Chao was bundled in a white cloak, warm and snug, sleeping sweetly as her body radiated comforting warmth. A flicker of doubt stirred in Lu Zheng Yue’s mind.
[The Crown Prince is being awfully kind to Chao Chao. Can the Marquis Zhongyong household truly command such favor?]
“Chao Chao has eaten plenty tonight,” the Crown Prince warned gently. “Avoid giving her any more food. A little warm water when you return should suffice.”
With that, Lu Zheng Yue stepped forward to receive the child, but the Crown Prince hesitated, staring at him with an unreadable expression.
“Does Your Highness have something more to say?” Lu Zheng Yue asked, puzzled.
After a moment of awkward silence, the Crown Prince finally spoke: “Would your family mind if Chao Chao had a new father?”
He was serious. This was a result of a discussion with his father, the Emperor. If Chao Chao were to be officially adopted into his household, removing Lu Yuan Ze from the picture and marrying Madam Xu, everything would naturally fall into place.
Thud.
Lu Yuan Xiao, accompanying them, stumbled into the snow. Lu Zheng Yue, struck dumb as if by lightning, stared at the Crown Prince in terror.
The Crown Prince waved dismissively, his voice tinged with regret. “Forget it. Pretend I never said such nonsense.”
He added solemnly, “But Lu Yuan Ze—he’s unworthy to be Chao Chao’s father.”
Lu Zheng Yue nodded quickly. “Mother thinks the same.”
The Crown Prince allowed himself a faint smile. It seemed Madam Xu was finally letting go of her sentimental attachment—a good sign.
Reluctantly, he handed Chao Chao back to Lu Zheng Yue and watched them climb into the carriage. The vehicle slowly disappeared into the darkness beyond the gates.
…
Upon returning to the Marquis Zhongyong Manor, they were greeted by the sight of Lu Wan Yi, weeping as she stepped out the door. She looked back repeatedly, unwilling to leave the manor.
“Master Gu, see that Wan Yi learns proper decorum. She is now the wife of a top scholar—any disgrace would reflect poorly on your family,” Madam Xu remarked with an indifferent expression, exchanging a knowing look with Gu Ling.
Though Gu Ling was far from a virtuous man, he would serve as a convenient tool to discipline Lu Wan Yi.
As the Gu family’s carriage departed, Lu Zheng Yue carried his tearful younger sister back inside.
“Did everything go smoothly?” Madam Xu asked, knowing that Chao Chao had entered the palace and even saved the Empress Dowager. She suspected that the Emperor had taken a liking to the child but had no idea how deep that affection ran.
“Well enough,” Lu Zheng Yue replied. “Except for a scuffle with Consort Xian’s dog.”
Their quiet conversation concluded, and they carried the drowsy Chao Chao to wash her up before settling her in her room.
…
That night, lying in bed, Lu Zheng Yue’s thoughts wandered to Su Zhi Qing, who had now become a recognized member of the Lu household, and to Wen Ning. A soft light shone in his eyes, a tenderness he wasn’t even aware of.
As the night deepened, he drifted into a dream that quickly turned nightmarish. He saw Wen Ning kneeling in the snow, blocking carriages as her voice rang out with desperation.
“Please, I beg you—save the Xu family. Save Zheng Yue. The Xu family has been wrongfully accused. Investigate the truth!”
Clad in thin clothes, she pleaded endlessly, her voice raw. Yet the passersby were merciless.
“Wrongfully accused? Even Xu’s legitimate daughter reported them! A betrayal for the greater good,” they sneered.
The jeers escalated, and some cornered her with humiliating demands. To her horror, her submission was met with further degradation.
“Let her speak of justice while crawling beneath us,” someone laughed cruelly.
As her anguish erupted into guttural cries, Lu Zheng Yue’s dream-self surged forward, swinging wildly at the assailants. “Release her! Leave Wen Ning alone!”
In a cold sweat, he awoke with a start, his body trembling violently. He realized then that this nightmare was not mere fantasy—it was the original fate he had narrowly avoided by choosing Su Zhi Qing. Without Chao Chao, this was the path he was destined to tread.
Tears rolled down his cheeks as he whispered, “Wen Ning, what have you endured for me?”
Barefoot and disheveled, he dashed out into the snow in only his inner garments. Rummaging for an old key, he opened the small gate connecting the Lu and Wen households—once a symbol of their childhood camaraderie.
He swore that this time, he would never let go of Wen Ning. He would defy destiny itself to protect her, repaying her devotion with a lifetime of unwavering loyalty.
…
Blissfully unaware of the chaos surrounding her, Chao Chao remained an innocent bundle of milk-drinking and napping.
On the second day of the new year, she accompanied Madam Xu back to her maiden home. By the third day, the Marquis Zhongyong donned his official robes and headed for court.
Northern Zhao’s New Year festivities were brief: three days before and two days after the new year, plus three days for the Lantern Festival. The diligent Emperor Xuan Ping had long been hailed as a conscientious ruler.
Lu Yuan Ze, dressed in his finest and brimming with confidence, strode through the palace grounds, exchanging well-wishes with colleagues along the way. His smile hinted at expectations of a promotion.
However, as he stepped into the Golden Luan Hall, the Emperor’s thunderous voice stopped him cold.
“Marquis Zhongyong, stand outside the hall!”
Stunned, Lu Yuan Ze froze mid-step. [What did I do wrong? Was I caught accepting bribes? Or did news of my mistress leak?] Anxiously, he replayed every possible misstep.
The Emperor, still fuming over the stubborn red lacquer staining his nails, barked, “Northern Zhao values right-hand precedence. You entered with your left foot first—what insolence! Are you demanding I bow to you?”
Thus, on the third day of the new year, Marquis Zhongyong’s hopeful prospects were dashed over a single misstep.
D**n,I just thought abt it..why don’t the king take her mother as a wife n they did ask abt it..aigooo
Wouldn’t that make the male lead her brother?
yeah…this is starting to suck