Lu Meng boarded the carriage with a clear mind and a brisk step. Fortunately, her carriage was spacious enough to fit all four large trunks inside, leaving her plenty of room to sit comfortably.
However, Xiuyun and Xiuli couldn't stay close to attend to her; they had to walk outside alongside Xin Ya.
On the return trip, Lu Meng was alone inside the carriage. Lying in this ancient, unnamed dynasty’s carriage with no suspension to speak of, every jolt that once made her uncomfortable now seemed to shake right through her heart.
Cradling a bundle of silver notes and property deeds in her arms, she opened one of the trunks and grabbed a handful of strings of pearls, agate, and jade, wrapping them around her neck. She hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol, yet she felt completely intoxicated.
Intoxicated by money.
This was the life Lu Meng had never dared to dream of before—no need to work tirelessly, just endless money to spend.
Countless times while watching TV dramas, she had seen the heroine being chased away by the male lead’s mother with piles of cash, and when the heroine insisted on true love with the male lead, Lu Meng had wanted to step inside the screen, take the heroine’s place, and say:
“I’m in true love with him, so add more money!”
Then she would take the fortune that guaranteed a lifetime of ease, leave for a distant land, buy a grand villa, hire several maids to serve her, and spend her days indulging in food, drink, and pleasure without lifting a finger!
Men? Love? All those tears and heartbreaks?
Not worth it compared to fine food and wealth—those brought a joy that rose straight from the soul.
Though her dream of lying around in a seaside mansion hadn’t come true, Lu Meng had realized the dream of “lying around” in ancient times!
No need for socializing or blind dates to find a partner. Her partner was rich, even a future emperor, with quirks yet to be unlocked—but none of those required her active involvement. Ha ha ha! She only needed to lie comfortably in a corner under his protection, striding arrogantly toward the peak of life.
And although life in ancient times wasn’t as comfortable as the modern day, the personal maids here were far more attentive than any modern nanny! If Lu Meng had needed them, they would have even wiped her backside.
What more could one ask for in life?
If Lu Meng weren’t afraid of breaking her character, she’d be grinning like a proud goose, ready to honk out a triumphant song to the heavens.
Back at the prince’s mansion, she ordered the servants to move all the large trunks into her room and stack them neatly under the cabinet next to her bed.
As for the silver notes and deeds, she stuffed them into the small drawer by her bedside and locked it with a delicate little padlock—then swallowed the key.
Just kidding, she didn’t actually swallow it; she just hid it away.
Like a squirrel who just found a huge stash of pine cones, her tail stretched out like a big fan. After washing up, Lu Meng flopped onto her bed to snack on some treats Xin Ya had brought her from the market earlier. Because of her delicate stomach, she wasn’t allowed to eat too much, and Lu Meng was very disciplined, nibbling just a little, savoring every bite. Dinner time was approaching.
Her little legs swung back and forth in the air, so relaxed that even Xiuyun and Xiuli, who were attending her, were visibly affected, their faces glowing with contentment.
“Lady Meng, today has been absolutely delightful.”
Xiuyun, standing by the bedside fanning Lu Meng, listened as Xiuli recounted how Lu Meng had returned home and swept through the Minister’s Residence so thoroughly that she even managed to bring back some spoils to the Prince’s Mansion. Xiuyun’s eyes practically turned into hearts, ready to leap out of their sockets.
After years of pent-up frustration, finally venting it all at once felt exhilarating, like a tingling thrill running through her scalp. Even without seeing it with her own eyes, she was already so delighted that her toenails felt like flipping over.
Lu Meng wore a smile all day long, the corners of her mouth never once drooping. If it weren’t for her good looks, she would’ve looked like a petty villain basking in his own triumph.
Hearing Xiuyun’s words, Lu Meng reclined sideways on the bed, tossing a small pastry into the air and catching it in her mouth.
Her clothes hung loose and relaxed, the faint marks on her collar and neck from where she had pinched herself earlier were nearly gone. She wasn’t wearing cloth socks, and her fair little feet, with their graceful ankles and calves, were exposed even more as she shifted.
She lay atop the bright red wedding quilt, looking like a finely carved jade figure.
“Feeling happy, huh?” Lu Meng said. “The Minister probably never wants to see me again in his life.”
Her tone was deliberately low and melancholy, but her face was alight with excitement, fluttering like a butterfly.
Xiuyun chuckled softly, “If he doesn’t want to see you, so be it. Who cares?”
She was just a child herself, a year younger than both Xiuli and Lu Meng. Always forcing herself to act mature beyond her years, but with Lu Meng around, she sometimes let her guard down.
The three of them giggled and laughed inside the room, while Xin Ya stood outside, head bowed, lost in thought.
Today, she had received orders from Prince Jian’an and had thoroughly offended Madam Meng.
Madam Meng was usually closer to her, but now she only smiled at her personal maid. Xin Ya didn’t feel bitter, just a little wistful.
Just as Lu Meng was enjoying herself, a maid came in and whispered something into Xin Ya’s ear. Xin Ya glanced toward the inner room, then silently slipped out.
She headed straight for Prince Jian’an’s main courtyard.
It was already dinnertime. Prince Jian’an had just returned from the Imperial Council Hall. The Emperor no longer reprimanded him, but the responsibility for supervising the construction of the palace was still in the hands of the Sixth Prince, and it wouldn’t be easy to wrest it back anytime soon.
Wu Linxuan and the Fourth Prince, Wu Lincheng, had both been keeping a low profile before the Emperor lately, only to be mocked and ridiculed by the other princes whenever the chance arose. Life was far from pleasant for them.
A dog’s life like his own couldn’t possibly allow the culprit who harmed him to enjoy any happiness.
He summoned Xin Ya to ask about Madam Meng’s visit to the Minister’s Residence today.
Although Wu Linxuan had already heard the report from his assassins, these killers, having undergone inhuman training since childhood, generally lacked empathy and couldn’t grasp the subtle implications in human speech. Even with gestures and explanations, the four of them hadn’t fully conveyed the situation, so he needed Xin Ya to tell it all over again before he could be at ease.
Xin Ya was called into Wu Linxuan’s study. Wu Linxuan was busily writing at his desk, determined to regain the palace supervision duties. To do so, he needed to cause major trouble in the affairs currently handled by the Sixth Prince.
The Sixth Prince, Wu Linjing, was actually one of the weaker competitors among the princes.
He hardly had any standing within the imperial city. His birth mother was frail and had died giving birth to him. His only pillar of support was the current Grand Marshal.
Unfortunately, the Grand Marshal was old, and most of the influence he could secure for him lay in the outer provinces. Naturally, when Wu Linxuan was about to make a move, someone had to be sent to deliver the message.
Xin Ya entered Wu Linxuan’s study, bowed quietly, and then waited attentively to the side. The setting sun cast a gentle light through the open window, tracing a golden outline around Wu Linxuan.
The evening breeze tousled his temple hair, softening the frost-carved sharpness of his brows and eyes as if the divine had willingly descended to the mortal realm, touched by the colors of spring.
The ancient male lead’s appearance was undeniably handsome—Lu Meng himself had personally vouched for this.
Even Xin Ya, who was utterly indifferent to romantic matters, couldn’t help but find the scene pleasing to the eye, holding her breath for fear of disturbing this “heaven-sent figure.”
She waited for Wu Linxuan to put down his brush, fold the letter, and hand it to the attendant beside him before he finally looked up at Xin Ya.
The moment his eyes lifted, the warm and breathtaking springtime beauty that had filled the room instantly shattered beneath the sternness etched between his brows—majestic and unyielding, a fortress not to be breached.
Only then did Xin Ya speak, reporting without a single wasted word all the details Wu Linxuan wished to know about today’s return visit.
“Did Lady Meng truly not utter a single complaint in private today?” Wu Linxuan asked, propping his elbow on the desk, his palm half supporting his cheek, his slender fingers tapping rhythmically at his temple.
Even in this relaxed state, the veins on the back of his hand stood out like gnarled tree roots, flowing smoothly beneath his sleeve. This was no hand meant only for holding a brush—it was one capable of wielding a sword and stirring the winds of fate.
“No,” Xin Ya replied. “Although Lady Meng looked very displeased when she saw the return visit gifts this morning, on the carriage she said the prince’s arrangements were not wrong. She didn’t complain at all and even said she wouldn’t bring a single leaf back to the Shilang Mansion. When they arrived at the Shilang Mansion and disembarked, she didn’t even allow the maids to move the return visit gifts off the carriage.”
Today, Lady Meng had even bared her small fangs at her. Though it was just a brief flash, Xin Ya was quite surprised.
Lady Meng was not a puppet after all.
“Ha, an act. She probably knows you can overhear everything and deliberately said it for me to hear,” Wu Linxuan scoffed.
“After she entered the Shilang Mansion, hasn’t she been relentlessly complaining about me? Calling me wicked,” he said.
Xin Ya said nothing.
Wu Linxuan already knew all of Lu Meng’s moves and conversations. Now he was even more certain that his Lady Meng was not a simple woman.
Not only was she unshaken by honor or disgrace, but she was also utterly impossible to catch slipping. After all these years of being bullied and left to fend for herself in the rear quarters of the Shilang Mansion, it was likely because she simply disdained to bother with Madam Chen and her daughter.
Moreover, Wu Linxuan suspected that this Lady Meng bore a deep grudge against him. On the very first day she entered the palace, she had pinned the scandalous label of “bedroom abuse” on him, causing him to lose a lucrative post.
And now, returning to the Shilang Mansion, she was doing everything in her power to tarnish his reputation.
He pinned everything on him, even attempting to incite the Vice Minister of Revenue against him.
Changsun Wenbai? That useless man wouldn’t even dare to take a call from him.
Such cunning schemes, such deft tactics.
Wu Linxuan recalled the words the assassins had taught him and found himself seeing his Lady Meng in a whole new light. He never expected that beneath her seemingly gentle, soft, and easily bullied exterior, she could be so maddeningly sharp-tongued and iron-willed, wielding words like steel teeth—so cutting and precise.
“After she came back last night, did she find any excuse to come to the main courtyard?” Wu Linxuan asked Xin Ya.
Xin Ya thought of how Lu Meng had practically glued herself to the bed and slowly shook her head.
“No,” Xin Ya said. “Lady Meng doesn’t seem to intend to see the Prince.”
Wu Linxuan was convinced that Lu Meng had ulterior motives; otherwise, her actions since their marriage were inexplicable.
On their wedding day, she used an aphrodisiac to get rid of Nanny Wu, who had sole control over the prince’s household. The very next day, she ruined his reputation and caused him to lose his lucrative post.
And now, on the third day... who knew what scandal would be spread about him tomorrow? If she couldn’t incite the Vice Minister’s mansion against him, what other tricks might she have up her sleeve?
Wu Linxuan was truly curious.
His gaze dropped, his long eyelashes trembling slightly as the sunset cast two fluttering shadows across his face.
She didn’t even show her face during the formal visit after marriage, and she deliberately ordered the servants to humiliate her—yet she didn’t take the opportunity to approach him. Such patience.
After a moment, Wu Linxuan chuckled softly. “Such scheming and poise, and yet she’s a woman. What a pity…”
If she were a man, he wouldn’t mind being outwitted; he might even try to ally with her.
Xin Ya said nothing. She felt that things were probably not as the prince imagined.
Even now, Xin Ya couldn’t figure out what kind of personality Lady Meng truly had—this was something she had never encountered before.
“You may leave. If she doesn’t come before nightfall,” Wu Linxuan stirred the ink water in his brush washer, watching the murky swirl with a teasing smile on his lips, “I’ll personally go to ‘comfort’ her.”
To meet her.
Xin Ya bowed in response and quietly exited.
Lu Meng had no idea that Wu Linxuan, whom she mockingly called “Big Dog Wu,” would soon be heading to the battlefield. She was currently stuffed and sprawled on the bed, afraid of overeating and getting stomach pains in the middle of the night. She couldn’t just wander around—besides the fact that a whole group of people would follow her, it was simply too troublesome for a heroine in a tragic romance.
Besides, Lu Meng was just too lazy to change clothes and go out.
As night fell, she sent the maids out and lit two dim candles inside the room, drawing the bed curtains closed before starting her workout.
She did a few sets of air cycling, then a “dragon spine” stretch, and exercised her pelvis with some lazy fitness methods she’d picked up online for slimming down.
No matter how twisted “Big Dog Wu” was, he wouldn’t have his assassins watch her sleep—otherwise, he’d be the prince wearing a green hat!
Pulling the bed curtains tight, Lu Meng kicked her calves around with abandon, helping digestion with no one able to see.
She worked up a sweat, feeling hot and uncomfortable, then started stretching her back—but hooking her hands behind her back was a bit tricky.
After thinking it over, she got off the bed and rummaged through the bedside cabinet, pulling out a jade hairpin she had just taken from the Vice Minister’s mansion today.
This hairpin was wonderful—thick as a child’s arm, cool to the touch, with a smooth and rounded handle, delicately carved without any rough edges.
Hands are just right for grabbing the back.
Lu Meng took the green jade Ruyi scepter and slipped behind the bed curtains to continue her exercise. After all, there wasn’t much to do in this ancient era, so she planned to tire herself out enough to fall asleep.
She worked up a sweat, her breathing growing heavier and heavier, panting hard. Soon, her ears even started ringing.
Oh no, she’d overdone it. Her legs trembled, weak and sore, and her vision blurred. She had overestimated this body again!
Quickly, Lu Meng grabbed the jade Ruyi and lay down on the bed, pressing it against her face, hoping to cool down.
She called out weakly, “Xiuyun…”
Could it be low blood sugar? That could be fatal!
Her heart pounded wildly.
The door opened, and footsteps slowly approached the bedside.
With eyes closed, Lu Meng waited for Xiuyun, her maid, to bring her some water and then call the doctor.
But she had no idea the person who entered was not her maid at all. It was Wu Linxuan, who had come personally to deal with this “scheming and cunning” vixen.
Wu Linxuan had deliberately prevented the maid from sending any messages.
He had heard strange sounds from outside the room.
His dream wife’s soft, delicate moans came through the window curtains, accompanied by heavy breathing.
Wu Linxuan had never eaten pork before, but he knew how many times pigs had escaped!
This was clearly the sound of lovers’ pleasure!
How dare she!
Anger surged from his heart, fury burning in his veins. He strode quickly to the bed curtains, grabbed the teapot from the table, and suddenly flung open the curtains, intending to smash the woman and her lover right there on the bed—
