Li Yuanjing set down the soup bowl: "The Second Miss of the Lu Family has entered the palace?"
Affairs of the inner palace were entirely managed by Shen Wei, so Li Yuanjing hadn’t expected the Second Miss of the Lu Family to enter the palace at such a critical moment.
Eunuch Zhou replied respectfully, "Noble Consort Lu Xuan is gravely ill, so the Second Miss of the Lu Family came to care for her—what a coincidence, this old servant even ran into her on the way here. Despite the freezing cold, she was dressed in such opulent finery, more dazzling than the red plum blossoms in the imperial garden."
Li Yuanjing’s expression turned icy.
Lu Xuan was bedridden in severe illness, yet her younger sister had come to visit dressed in such extravagant attire.
If she truly cared for her sister, why would she deliberately adorn herself so meticulously?
Clearly, the visit was merely an excuse.
Li Yuanjing sneered, "After stripping the Lu Family of their wealth, Duke of Lu still refuses to learn his lesson, testing my patience again and again."
Eunuch Zhou dared not say more and bowed his head before cautiously retreating from the inner hall.
Li Chengyou had already finished two bowls of black-bone chicken soup. Wiping his mouth, he burrowed back into the warm blankets and fell into a deep sleep.
Li Chengtai glanced at his father’s frosty expression, then at his sleeping younger brother. Silently, he picked up his brush and resumed his calligraphy practice.
...
...
Lu Yun first went to pay her respects to Noble Consort Chen, Shen Wei.
Separated by a thin gauze curtain, she couldn’t catch a glimpse of Shen Wei’s true appearance. Lu Yun greeted her politely, and Shen Wei didn’t make things difficult, merely instructing her to take good care of the ailing Noble Consort Lu Xuan.
After leaving Yongning Palace, Lu Yun turned back to gaze at the extravagant palace walls, a flicker of envy flashing in her eyes. Noble Consort Chen’s residence was luxurious and warm even in the depths of winter.
Secretly, Lu Yun longed for the day she, too, could enjoy the privileges of an imperial favorite.
Suppressing her excitement, she headed toward Changxin Palace, where her sister resided. It had been a long time since Lu Yun last entered the palace, and as she stepped into the courtyard, she nearly thought she’d taken a wrong turn.
The grounds were overgrown with withered grass and crooked trees, a few plum blossoms blooming haphazardly. The courtyard was eerily silent, like a tomb, the entire palace drained of color and life.
Entering Lu Xuan’s bedchamber, Lu Yun found the inner chamber warm but thick with the scent of medicine and a faint trace of blood.
"Second Miss, why have you come?" The palace maid, Qi, asked in surprise.
Lu Yun forced a smile. "I’ve come to care for my sister."
Qi pressed her lips together. "Her Ladyship just took her medicine. Let me take you inside."
Lu Yun walked slowly into the warm inner chamber. When the dark bed curtains were drawn aside, she gasped, covering her mouth in shock. She could hardly believe the pale, emaciated woman before her was her once radiant elder sister.
Lu Xuan was skeletal, her face deathly pale, her lips devoid of color. Her postpartum health had deteriorated severely, her hair thinning so much that she wore a fox-fur cap.
"Sister!" Lu Yun knew her sister was ill, but she’d never imagined it was this bad!
Despite everything, they were still sisters. Seeing Lu Xuan in such a wretched state, Lu Yun’s nose stung, and tears instantly spilled down her cheeks.
Stumbling to the bedside, Lu Yun studied her sister again and called out weakly, "Sis..."
Lu Xuan leaned weakly against the pillows. "Little sister, why have you come?" Her voice was hoarse beyond recognition.
Lu Yun wiped her eyes and grasped Lu Xuan’s thin, cold hand. "I was worried about you, so I begged Noble Consort Chen for permission to come care for you."
For once, there was sincerity in her words.
Before the prophetic dreams had awakened her ambitions, Lu Yun had always admired Lu Xuan, and the two had been very close.
Lu Xuan tightened her grip on Lu Yun’s hand, her gaze unfocused. "My situation is dire, and the Lu Family is in turmoil. Stay with me for two days, then leave the palace immediately... Cough, cough... Return to Yunzhou and have Father arrange a marriage for you. If the Lu Family falls, at least you won’t be implicated."
Lu Xuan knew that if the Lu Family continued down this path, they would meet the same fate as the Tantai and Xie Families.
So, Lu Yun needed to be married off—and quickly.
A married daughter belonged to another family. The disasters of the Lu Family would not touch her.
Trapped herself, Lu Xuan didn’t want her innocent younger sister dragged into the abyss.
"I—I won’t marry! I want to stay with you!" Lu Yun frowned, her earlier sympathy vanishing in an instant.
Lu Xuan coughed violently before speaking gently, "Listen to me. I only want what’s best for you. Return to Yunzhou and marry a humble scholar with no connections... Sever all ties with the Lu Family to ensure your survival."
Lu Yun lowered her eyes, hiding the resentment in them. "I refuse to marry some poor scholar."
In her prophetic dream, Lu Xuan, then the empress, had forced her to marry a low-ranking official against her will—leading to her miserable death.
Lu Yun would not repeat that mistake! She would become an imperial consort, she would become empress!
Her sister’s insistence on marrying her off was clearly just fear that she might win the emperor’s favor.
"You’re still young. You don’t understand the ruthlessness of the court and the inner palace." Lu Xuan closed her eyes wearily. "Never mind. I’ll arrange everything for you."
Lu Yun clenched her jaw and released Lu Xuan’s hand.
Why should her sister get to be an imperial consort while she was forced to marry a nobody? Lu Yun swore silently that she would do whatever it took to win the emperor’s favor and save the Lu Family herself.
...
...
Yongning Palace.
The warm chamber was toasty, and Shen Wei, dressed in light robes, happily sipped her steaming black-bone chicken soup.
"Your Ladyship, that Lu Yun clearly has ulterior motives. How could you allow her into the palace?" Cai Ping peeled an orange for Shen Wei, her tone indignant.
Shen Wei set down her bowl. "It’s better to keep her where we can watch her."
The palace was filled with Shen Wei’s people. Lu Yun wouldn’t be able to cause much trouble. When the time was right, she’d deal with both Lu Yun and Lu Xuan—eliminating the threat once and for all.
Behind the gauze curtain, Cai Lian announced, "Your Ladyship, Princess Donglin requests an audience."
Shen Wei raised a brow. "Let her in."
Soon after, Princess Donglin entered the chamber respectfully. She removed her thick brocade cloak and bowed to Shen Wei.
Shen Wei gestured. "Sit."
Princess Donglin took a seat on a small pearwood stool nearby, rubbing her hands together. "Noble Consort’s warm chamber is so comfortable—it’s as warm as spring in here, far better than the Yan residence."
Shen Wei observed her. Since marrying Yan Yunting, Princess Donglin had visibly gained weight, her face rounder and fairer, her eyes bright with vitality.
Life in the Yan household suited her well.
Yan Yunting treated her as a substitute for the Zhao Yang Princess, pouring all his guilt into pampering her. Princess Donglin enjoyed the finest luxuries the household could offer.
Shen Wei asked, "What brings you here?"
After finishing a cup of hot black tea, Princess Donglin wiped her lips, her expression turning serious. "As you instructed, I’ve been keeping a close watch on Tantai Rou within the Yan household. I’ve discovered that she has ties to Duke of Lu... and connections to the Southern Chu Kingdom."
