Chapter 81: Lu Yuan Ze Vomits Blood

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Lu Yuan Ze was carried back to the manor, his forehead bloodied, his backside beaten to the point of ruin.

“That cursed thing, that wretched thing—she is a bane to me!”

“Lu Chao Chao is my nemesis!” he raged, his eyes bloodshot with fury.

The Old Madam, hearing the news, ran out, red-eyed and sobbing. Upon seeing Marquis Lu’s pitiful state, she let out a wail and fainted on the spot.

Originally, Marquis Lu was to be taken to the main courtyard, but Su Zhi Qing intercepted the procession, leaving Madam Xu unbothered.

“The Old Madam fainted in the snow,” Deng Zhi reported as she entered.

Madam Xu looked at the sun and said indifferently, “It’s warm outside. Don’t disturb her. Let her bask there for a while. If she starts to wake, then move her to the bed.” She didn’t spare a thought for the snow beneath.

Deng Zhi covered her mouth, stifling laughter. “Understood.”

“What happened to the Marquis?” Madam Xu asked casually.

Deng Zhi’s gaze carried unmistakable disdain. “He’s demanding that Miss Chao Chao be brought over, claiming she’s a curse to him. Most likely, he made a mistake in court today and was punished by the Emperor. Serves him right,” she added with schadenfreude.

Madam Xu’s distaste deepened at the mention of Chao Chao’s alleged curse. Without hesitation, she went to the Clear Peace Courtyard. Even standing outside, she could hear Marquis Lu’s venomous tirade against Chao Chao.

“That little brat is utterly wicked. She should have been drowned at birth!”

“Bring her here! Drown her! Drown her!”

“She’s nothing but a calamity, a wretched girl who curses her father. If only Jing…”

His voice abruptly stopped as he remembered Lu Jing Yao wasn’t truly his daughter. For a fleeting moment, he missed her dearly.

“The Madam is here,” Su Zhi Qing announced respectfully.

Madam Xu’s lack of favor from the Marquis didn’t bother her. She had been elevated to the position of equal wife, making her half the master of the household. She even enjoyed the luxury of not being visited by the Marquis in her courtyard, savoring her freedom.

“Shi Yun, you’re here? Do you know what Lu Chao Chao has done? She dared to borrow money from the grandchildren of my colleagues! She’s lawless and deserves death. Bring her here to kneel in the snow!”

“Have her kneel and forbid her from rising until I permit it!” Marquis Lu was so enraged that he tasted blood in his throat.

Madam Xu, barely suppressing her own anger, snapped back. “Marquis, Chao Chao is only a year old. Kneeling in the snow could kill her! Are you trying to end her life?”

“Shi Yun, you don’t understand. Chao Chao curses her father. Ever since she came into this world, nothing has gone right for me.” His misfortune—being struck by lightning, Madam Xu’s rebellion—all began after her birth.

“Besides, kneeling won’t kill anyone.”

Marquis Lu’s eyes were dark with malice.

“Is that so? I happen to think Chao Chao is my lucky star, my salvation. Since her arrival, there has been hope—clarity to see through a man who eats at two tables!”

At that moment, a servant announced, “Marquis, Vice Minister Wu from the Ministry of Revenue is here.”

Marquis Lu froze. Vice Minister Wu held real authority as a second-rank official, and they rarely interacted. This was an unexpected visit.

“Quickly, invite him in,” he said, trying to rise, only to wince in pain from his injuries.

Vice Minister Wu entered with a genial smile. “Minister Shangshu asked me to deliver these IOUs. They’re all here.” He glanced around, looking for Chao Chao. Nodding politely at Marquis Lu, his tone remained courteous—this was Chao Chao’s father, after all. That little girl was clearly destined for great fortune. Better to show respect.

“Where’s Chao Chao?” His eyes burned with urgency—could he acquire another longevity talisman?

Marquis Lu’s fury exploded. “Vice Minister Wu, my young daughter is ignorant and foolish. I assure you, I will provide an explanation. Tonight, I’ll have her kneel in the snow for three days and nights, bowing at every household to apologize.”

His face was twisted with loathing.

Vice Minister Wu blinked in disbelief. This man had no idea of his daughter’s abilities. Recalling the Emperor’s cryptic command to keep matters secret, he wondered: was this intentional ignorance?

“No, no, Marquis, you’ve gone too far. Chao Chao is only a year old. Kneeling for three days? You’d kill her!” Wu’s tone turned stern. “Marquis Lu, not only do you let her borrow money, but you punish her as well? If you continue this, I’ll impeach you tomorrow! Shameless!”

He stood abruptly, glaring at the Marquis in anger.

Marquis Lu, enraged, spat blood. He hadn’t received a single coin! “I didn’t take any money! Not a copper!” he roared, trembling with rage.

Wu sneered. “Marquis, mind your conduct. Chao Chao is innocent!” With a swish of his sleeves, he stormed out.

The Protectorate Duke and the wealthiest man in the capital were fortunate indeed. The Duke’s illness had kept him from court, while the merchant’s lack of status spared him from such humiliations. Their talismans remained safe.

Marquis Lu was left shaking in fury. “I didn’t take the money! Not a single coin!” He looked at the IOUs: twenty-two thousand taels!

“Who lends a one-year-old this much?” he screamed, fainting from sheer outrage.

Madam Xu, glancing at the document, was equally shocked. Chao Chao had actually secured the money!

When Marquis Lu regained consciousness, he was pale and weak, muttering, “A scourge, a scourge! Bring the child here. Where’s the money?”

Madam Xu refused, unwilling to risk Chao Chao’s safety around his unstable temper. Instead, she sent Deng Zhi to inquire.

Half an hour later, Deng Zhi returned, bewildered. “Madam, the little miss says it’s all spent. Not a single copper remains.”

Madam Xu’s voice remained calm. “You heard her. The money’s gone.”

Marquis Lu erupted. “You’re coddling her! Two thousand taels! You’ve spoiled her rotten!” He fumed. “Shi Yun, look at what you’ve done! The eldest is a cripple holding onto the heir’s title; the second is a wastrel; the third is an empty-headed fool; and now Lu Chao Chao is swindling money before she can even walk. This household will be ruined by you!”

Madam Xu’s face darkened. “So, Marquis, you’re planning to replace the heir?” Her tone was laced with icy venom.

Marquis Lu hesitated, his voice softening. “Shi Yun, that’s not what I meant.”

“Since you’re so protective of her, the funds will have to come from your dowry,” he sighed deeply.

Madam Xu smiled faintly. “Marquis, didn’t I tell you yesterday that Zheng Yue needed capital for his business? I’ve given him all my dowry.”

Marquis Lu’s heart nearly stopped. “A-all of it?”

As the youngest and most pampered daughter of the Xu family, Madam Xu’s dowry was exceedingly generous. Over the years, Marquis Lu had used it freely to support Pei Jiao Jiao’s family. But recently, she had reclaimed it all. Now, even Lu Jing Huai’s engagement gifts had been partially repossessed, leaving the young man humiliated.

“Wealth sustains journeys, and my dowry was always meant for the children. It’s all been given to them, Marquis. Surely, you weren’t still eyeing it?” She had deliberately arranged for Zheng Yue to shift the funds away, ensuring not a copper reached Lu Yuan Ze.

This was her retribution.

Well done, Chao Chao!

Marquis Lu’s face turned ashen. Twenty-two thousand taels! He would have to repay it himself. And the clan elders still needed three thousand more!

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