There exists one utterly ineffective way to attack in this world—like punching a ball of cotton.
At this moment, Lu Meng was precisely that cotton—hit her all you want, she wouldn’t feel a thing, and she’d bounce right back.
The two sharp-tongued vixens found themselves utterly defanged in front of Lu Meng, reduced to nothing more than a pair of yapping fox terriers with no bite.
The mother-daughter duo, however, didn’t immediately lose heart. After exchanging a few glances, they quickly dredged up another one of their premeditated schemes.
To Lu Meng’s surprise, Changsun Lingling actually suppressed her temper and offered an apology.
“Sister really has changed after marriage,” Changsun Lingling said, her posture humble but her eyes brimming with undisguised contempt. Pinching her nose, she continued, “Lingling was young before and didn’t know any better. Here, I apologize to Sister. Please be magnanimous and drink this cup of tea as a sign of forgiveness.”
Suddenly, Lu Meng remembered this exact scene from the original plot.
In the novel, the protagonist had foolishly believed the mother and daughter’s lies, drank the so-called “apology tea,” and nearly fell victim to a distant cousin Madam Chen had secretly arranged to tarnish her reputation.
That incident became the foundation for the male lead’s belief that the female lead was a promiscuous woman. Even though nothing had actually happened—thanks to the male lead’s hidden bodyguard intervening—the misunderstanding was never cleared up, lingering until the very end.
What a goddamn joke.
Recalling this, Lu Meng looked at the pitifully submissive Changsun Lingling offering her tea and felt the overwhelming urge to kick her across the room.
So this was the real trap waiting for her? The original female lead’s humiliation hadn’t been nearly dramatic enough for a classic angst novel, and now she understood why.
Honestly, how could the original protagonist be so careless? Who just drinks whatever suspicious liquid someone hands them?
And could they please retire the “drugged drink” trope already? Lu Meng almost laughed out loud.
“This is the first time you’ve ever apologized to me,” Lu Meng remarked, eyeing Changsun Lingling. “But I’ll pass on the tea. I’m afraid you might drug me and then arrange for some man to ruin my reputation.”
Her tone was casual, as if she were discussing the weather, but her words struck Changsun Lingling like a deafening temple bell—nearly exorcising the wickedness right out of her.
Changsun Lingling was no master schemer to begin with. The moment her plan was exposed, her hands trembled, and the teacup slipped from her grasp, shattering on the floor with a loud crack—like the sound of Lu Meng slapping both mother and daughter across the face.
“S-Sister… what nonsense are you saying?” Changsun Lingling forced a stiff smile, retreating as she shot a desperate glance at Madam Chen.
Madam Chen’s heart nearly leaped out of her chest. She had no idea how Lu Meng had uncovered their scheme, and like a startled bird, she bolted upright from her seat.
But seeing the tea spilled, her expression shifted. With no evidence left, she quickly regained her composure.
A true old fox.
Immediately, she counterattacked: “Consort, even if you’ve married into Prince Jian'an’s household, you can’t just throw your weight around and slander your unwed sister without proof!”
“When the master returns, I will make sure he hears exactly what his precious daughter has accused us of! If you’re truly innocent, why fear rumors?”
“This Vice Minister’s residence has never allowed unsavory characters inside. The only reason we invited your cousin was to help you cover up your past misdeeds! If you refuse to see him, fine—but don’t you dare accuse us of foul play!”
What a talent.
Failing to drug Lu Meng, Madam Chen now tried to pin the entire scheme on her instead.
Lu Meng stood up as well, stretching lazily. “Go ahead. Complain to him.”
She continued, her voice light but dripping with menace: “But let me make one thing clear—if any damaging rumors about me spread from this household tomorrow, I’ll personally commission a few… colorful poems.”
“Poems starring the Vice Minister’s beloved unmarried daughter, of course. Titles like ‘My Forbidden Affairs with the Servants’ or ‘The Stablehand’s Secret Trysts with the Vice Minister’s Daughter.’ Oh, and how about ‘Shocking Revelations: The Vice Minister’s Household—A Den of Debauchery, the Mother-Daughter Duo’s Wild Nights’?”
With every word, the mother and daughter's faces grew paler.
“If I go down, we all go down,” Lu Meng said sweetly. “Don’t you agree, Madam Chen? People love juicy gossip—who cares if it’s true or not?”
“I’m Prince Jian'an’s consort now. Even if he despises me, he’ll have to clean up my mess to save his own face. But you two? Do you really think my father can shield you from scandal?”
Lu Meng normally despised using “slut-shaming” as a weapon—she found it vile. But these two had tried to drag her into the mud first.
If they wanted to play dirty, she’d play dirtier.
Please. She was a modern woman—since when did she care about rumors of having a few lovers?
Madam Chen’s face drained of color, her lips trembling. “Y-You… you’d really go that far? What about your father’s reputation?”
Lu Meng smirked, standing amid the shattered porcelain. “If you don’t care, why should I?”
She then did something utterly unexpected—clicking her tongue playfully, the way street ruffians would when harassing decent women.
“A married woman follows her husband,” she said. “I belong to Prince Jian'an now. What does the Vice Minister of Revenue have to do with me?”
At this point, Madam Chen and Changsun Lingling finally understood: the meek, easily bullied second daughter they once controlled was now entirely beyond their grasp.
Though resentment burned in their eyes, neither dared scheme further.
Just as the stalemate thickened, the sound of the Vice Minister’s return echoed from outside. A maid greeted him at the door.
Madam Chen instinctively prepared to rush to Changsun Wenbai and pour out her grievances—but Lu Meng, still smiling, gave her a look that froze her in place.
For the first time in her life, Madam Chen had been outmaneuvered. This wretched girl had returned home without a single trace of her former fragility, her calm demeanor somehow more terrifying than any outburst.
She’s truly willing to burn us all to ashes.
Madam Chen couldn’t risk it.
So she yanked her daughter back, pinching her arm in warning, then plastered on a smile as she greeted the Vice Minister: “Master, you’re finally back! We’ve been waiting so long.”
She called for servants to clean the broken teacup and set the table for lunch.
Xiuli, Lu Meng’s maid, reappeared, her eyes still red-rimmed but relieved to see her mistress unharmed.
Vice Minister Changsun Wenbai strode in, his expression stern. Ignoring proper etiquette, he immediately demanded:
“Why have you returned alone?”
Lu Meng studied the Vice Minister of Revenue and finally understood why her original body’s mother had once refused even the chance to become a palace concubine. Turns out, her mother had been a shameless admirer of handsome faces—this Vice Minister bore such a striking resemblance to Lu Meng’s current body that their familial connection was undeniable.
What a pretty-boy old man.
Lu Meng still had to maintain appearances, so she withdrew her scrutinizing gaze. But she didn’t bow—after all, she was now a side consort, and by protocol, this aging pretty-boy should be the one paying respects to her.
"Father," Lu Meng said, "Isn’t it obvious? I’ve already discussed this with Auntie and little sister. Prince Jian'an deliberately humiliated me—he forbade me from bringing gifts for the homecoming and refused to accompany me. This was an insult to you, Father, and to our Vice Minister’s household!"
She continued, "Father must have seen Prince Jian'an at court today. He claimed he was too busy with official duties, but I don’t believe it. You must know the truth. You must demand justice for me!"
As soon as Lu Meng finished speaking, the expressions of Madam Chen and Changsun Lingling, standing beside Changsun Wenbai, twisted in fury.
Lu Meng pushed all the blame onto Prince Jian'an, that "Wu Big Dog"—after all, he was the only one who deserved it.
Changsun Wenbai had been ready to scold his second daughter, thoroughly dissatisfied with this marriage that had brought him no benefits and even alienated him from the Fourth Prince. But hearing her words, his bluster deflated like a punctured balloon.
A master of bullying those weaker than him, this Vice Minister of Revenue had climbed to his position solely through the influence of his late wife’s family, the Chens. But now that Madam Chen was dead and their relationship ruined, his hold on power was precarious at best. How could he possibly stand up to Prince Jian'an?
If he had dared to refuse even once, Lu Meng would now be one of the Fourth Prince’s "sisters" in his harem, not Wu Linxuan’s side consort.
So Changsun Wenbai put on a show of deep contemplation, then said with forced dignity, "You are a married woman now. A wife must obey her husband—how can you speak of your lord husband this way?"
"Utterly lacking in propriety!" He flicked his sleeve with a disdainful snort. "Prince Jian'an didn’t accompany you because he was occupied with state affairs. What would a mere woman understand?"
Lu Meng nearly laughed aloud at Madam Chen’s contorted expression.
She quickly replied, "Father’s reprimand is just. As a wife, I should indeed be considerate of my husband."
Changsun Wenbai’s expression softened slightly, though he still huffed.
Lu Meng’s eyes darted mischievously before she added, "But Father, life in Prince Jian'an’s Mansion has been unbearable. I know a married daughter is like spilled water, but I’m truly struggling."
"From the moment we wed, Prince Jian'an banished me to a remote courtyard, ignoring me completely," Lu Meng said, turning her gaze to her shameless father. "My dowry has vanished—I don’t even have money for personal expenses, and the maids refuse to obey me."
"Father, Auntie, I came home today to retrieve some of the dowry my late mother prepared for me."
The moment these words left her mouth, the faces of all three—Changsun Wenbai, Madam Chen, and Changsun Lingling—twisted in alarm.
Madam Chen finally snapped, abandoning all pretense of decorum. "What nonsense! Every item your mother set aside for you was given to you at your wedding!"
Unfazed, Lu Meng looked at her father and said coolly, "I won’t press for details. Father must know the truth. But if you truly don’t, Eldest Sister still has a copy of the dowry list."
Changsun Wenbai’s face darkened. "You unfilial wretch!"
Lu Meng maintained a respectful posture, but her words were as unyielding as a long-dead duck’s beak.
"Don’t blame me, Father. I have no choice," she said. "If I can’t survive in Prince Jian'an’s Mansion, I’ll have to write to Eldest Sister. I hear she and her husband will return by August..."
"Outrageous!" Changsun Wenbai slammed the table.
Everyone, including Lu Meng, flinched.
The pretty-boy old man was furious.
Lu Meng had dragged this matter into the open with no regard for anyone’s dignity. And a man like Changsun Wenbai, who prized his reputation above all, would never allow such a scandal to spread.
The four of them nearly tore into each other—though Lu Meng was only pretending.
She had been bluffing, but Madam Chen had indeed embezzled a fortune.
In the end, lunch was abandoned. Lu Meng left Changsun Wenbai clutching his chest in rage—though she "considerately" patted his back a few times, nearly sending the old man to his grave on the spot.
The scene was so absurd that even the spies reporting to Wu Linxuan needed four people to reenact it accurately.
When Lu Meng finally left the Vice Minister’s residence, her steps were light and her mood jubilant. Xin Ya and the guards hauled out three massive chests from the household, while Lu Meng herself carried a stack of property deeds, shop titles, and silver notes.
She had arrived empty-handed for her homecoming but left with three chests of gold, jewels, and treasures—plus the small chest she’d brought that morning, making four in total.
For a moment, Lu Meng felt as rich as a kingdom.
As she boarded the carriage to return, Madam Chen and Changsun Lingling stood at the gate, their faces as grim as if attending a funeral.
Lu Meng sweetly took Changsun Lingling’s hand, playing the role of a doting elder sister. "Don’t worry, Dou Dou. You’ll marry well someday."
"If you’re still fixated on your brother-in-law, that’s fine too. Just prepare a generous dowry—I’ll hold onto it for you. When I return to the mansion, I’ll speak to His Highness about taking you in as a concubine."
Only when Changsun Lingling was sobbing uncontrollably did Lu Meng release her and climb into the carriage. The only reason Madam Chen didn’t claw at her in the street was sheer terror.
Lu Meng had spent the entire day soft-spoken and demure, the picture of nobility.
But her triumph had gone slightly to her head. She strutted like the Monkey King returning from his journey to the West, her hips swaying like a serpent’s, shoulders rolling as if she could somersault straight into the heavens.
Back to the mansion she went!
