Chapter 77: Cries the Cheap Father
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
As gentle snowflakes resumed their descent, the palace gates neared closure. Positioned hesitantly before the hall, Lu Zheng Yue, the eldest among three brothers, arrived just in time to see the crown prince emerging, cradling a child in his arms. The child, gripping the prince like an octopus, held onto a bottle of warm milk, fervently suckling, still dependent on her nightly nourishment.
With a gentle tone, Lu Zheng Yue made a request, “Your Highness, may I please take Chao Chao?”
The crown prince softly declined, “Chao Chao has not yet fully settled into sleep; we shouldn’t disturb her. I will walk you out of the palace myself. Please, use my sedan chair to ensure you exit before the gates are shut.”
Lu Zheng Yue’s suspicion arose regarding the crown prince’s particularly considerate treatment of Chao Chao. Could this be influenced by their father?
“Tonight, let Chao Chao have only warm water once home,” the crown prince directed, his intense gaze almost tangible as he prepared to hand over the child.
“Do you have anything else to add, Your Highness?” inquired Lu Zheng Yue, intrigued by the depth of the crown prince’s gaze.
Pausing, marked by evident discomfort, the crown prince seriously suggested, “Would you oppose it if Chao Chao were to gain a new father?” This was a plot previously discussed with the king, aiming to formally integrate Chao Chao into the royal lineage by replacing Lu Yuan Ze with the king marrying Madam Xu.
Suddenly, Lu Yuan Xiao, the youngest brother, fell into the snow, overcome as though struck by lightning, while Lu Zheng Yue stood stunned for a moment. Snow collected on their heads as they regarded the crown prince with shock.
Recognizing their astonishment, the crown prince waved off his previous remark, stating, “Forget it, that was thoughtless of me. Disregard what I said today.” He sincerely added, “Truly, Lu Yuan Ze is unworthy of being Chao Chao’s father.”
Lu Zheng Yue concurred, “Mother shares the same sentiment.”
Relieved, the crown prince managed a slight smile, grateful that Madam Xu might relinquish her misguided romantic ideals.
Reluctantly, he handed Lu Chao Chao back to Lu Zheng Yue. They boarded the carriage and slowly vanished into the night, disappearing from view.
Upon their return to the Marquis Mansion, they encountered Lu Wan Yi in tears as she departed, her repeated glances back showing her reluctance to leave the estate.
“Mr. Gu, it is crucial that you instill proper manners in Wan Yi; as the wife of a distinguished scholar, she now represents him and should not bring dishonor upon the Gu family,” Madam Xu remarked softly, sharing a knowing smile with Gu Ling.
Madam Xu held minimal respect for Gu Ling but was confident in her ability to manage him when necessary. Yet, having him discipline Lu Wan Yi served a dual purpose.
After the Gu family’s carriage left, Lu Zheng Yue gently lifted his sister and carried her back inside.
“Did everything go well?” Madam Xu asked, knowing Chao Chao had been summoned to the palace and that she had aided the dowager, possibly garnering the king’s favor. However, Madam Xu was entirely unaware of the extent of this favor.
“It went relatively smoothly,” Lu Zheng Yue responded, aside from a confrontation with a noble consort.
They conversed quietly for a while, then tenderly washed Lu Chao Chao and tucked her into bed.
Exhausted, Lu Zheng Yue collapsed onto his bed, his mind wandering to various topics. He thought of Su Zhi Qing, who had essentially become a second matriarch within the Lu family, and of Wen Ning, feeling a surge of gentle warmth he hardly noticed himself.
As the night deepened, Lu Zheng Yue drifted into a dreamlike state.
He could faintly hear desperate pleas: “Please, please, save the Xu family, save Zheng Yue. The Xu family wouldn’t commit treason. The descendants of the Lu family are all honorable. They wouldn’t engage in such acts. They have been falsely accused. This matter needs thorough investigation.”
In the chilling, snowy weather, he envisioned Wen Ning, scantily clad, kneeling in the snow, attempting to halt passing carriages. Wen Ning’s face displayed signs of relentless exhaustion as she stopped one carriage after another.
“Falsely accused? It was the Xu family’s own daughter who made the accusation; how could it be mistaken? Miss Lu Jing Yao revealed her family’s crimes in the name of justice. Royal Tutor Xu’s family plotted a rebellion, implicating Marquis Zongyong. Fortunately, the crown prince is fair, sentencing only the direct descendants of the Lu family,” onlookers commented and gossiped.
Suddenly, someone stealthily approached Wen Ning.
“Just crawl under the young master’s legs, and he might advocate for you,” a servant mockingly suggested, his voice filled with laughter.
Wen Ning’s hair was disheveled, and her lips quivered, whether from the cold or anger, it was unclear.
“Are you serious? The Xu family is innocent, please save them. I’ll crawl…”
Amidst the crowd’s laughter, Wen Ning knelt in the snow, enduring the humiliation of crawling beneath the demeaning space. A warm yellow stream trickled down onto her head, emitting a foul smell, provoking even louder laughter from the crowd.
“With behavior like that, you still expect a petition? Brothers, drag her away. Miss Jing Yao has declared that the Wen family will be relocated to Lingnan tomorrow,” the crowd jeered, dragging a screaming, terrified Wen Ning into an alley.
“No, no! No! Don’t! Don’t, you will not die a peaceful death!” Wen Ning’s sharp, anguished cries echoed in the alley, accompanied by the crowd’s vile laughter.
In a shadow-like fury, Lu Zheng Yue lashed out, swinging his fists at the offenders.
“Let go of Wen Ning, let her go!”
He listened to Wen Ning’s cries of utter despair and watched helplessly as her clothing was torn apart.
“Ah!!” Lu Zheng Yue abruptly woke from the dream, drenched in sweat.
His heart raced like thunder, overwhelmed by a tumult of sadness, anger, and despair, his body quivering uncontrollably.
Wen Ning! Wen Ning!! His Wen Ning!
This was not merely a nightmare; these events were his actual destiny, a path he would have walked had he chosen Su Zhi Qing. Without Chao Chao, this would have been his inevitable fate. Tears streamed down Lu Zheng Yue’s cheeks, tormented by thoughts of the suffering Wen Ning might have endured.
Ignoring his lack of shoes and socks, he rushed next door clad only in his underclothes, his hair in disarray.
The Lu and Wen families had been neighbors in their childhood, with Wen Ning often chasing after him. They even shared a small door between their homes. However, when the Wen family was reassigned, that door was locked. Now, driven by urgency, he found the key, unlocked the small door, and dashed towards Wen Ning.
This time, he vowed to firmly grasp Wen Ning’s hand and never let go. Regardless of what destiny or fate decreed, he was determined not to release Wen Ning’s hand. He resolved to spend his lifetime repaying Wen Ning for her kindness.
Meanwhile, Lu Chao Chao remained blissfully unaware, simply eating and sleeping.
On the second day of the new year, Lu Chao Chao accompanied Madam Xu back to her maternal home.
On the third day, Marquis Zongyong dressed early in his official robes, preparing to attend court.
In Northern Zhao, the new year celebrations lasted for only five days—three days before and two days after the new year, with the Lantern Festival following three days later.
King Xuan Ping, renowned for his diligence, was considered a just ruler.
Lu Yuan Ze stepped into the snow, donned in his official robes, making his way to the palace. As he walked, he exchanged New Year’s greetings with his colleagues: “Happy New Year, congratulations.”
“New Year’s auspiciousness, congratulations,” they responded, each hoping for good fortune.
Lu Yuan Ze mused that this might be the year he received a promotion, a slight smile playing across his features.
The officials, ranked according to their offices, orderly proceeded into the golden throne hall.
Just as Lu Yuan Ze stepped his left foot inside, a commanding voice from the high platform interrupted: “Marquis Zongyong, stand outside the hall.”
Lu Yuan Ze was taken aback.
Had he been caught accepting bribes? Was his affair exposed?
Marquis Zongyong frantically reviewed his faults, his mind racing, heart uneasy.
The king, noticing the indiscretion, was incensed.
“In Northern Zhao, the right side is honored, and yet you entered with your left foot?”
On the third day of the new year, for the simple misstep of entering the hall with the wrong foot, the king scolded Marquis Zongyong, dashing any hopes of his promotion.