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The next day at one o’clock, around seven in the morning, she woke up. She had slept for a full eight or nine hours, a luxury she hadn’t experienced in a long time. In her previous life, she was a very hardworking and driven person, often compressing her sleep to the minimum needed, otherwise she wouldn’t have been able to make her way in her field.
As soon as she got up, Bing Mo entered with the maidservants, bringing with them the washing supplies.
For washing up, they used willow branches dipped in green salt, which Lu Songli found a bit unusual.
Bing Mo attended to her, noticing that her face had gained some color from a good night’s sleep, and his heart finally felt at ease.
Lu Songli stared at herself in the bronze mirror. Her face used to be a standard oval shape with evenly proportioned features, soft facial lines, and a delicate appearance. Her temperament was cool and gentle.
She quite liked her appearance; her delicate features were non-threatening, which made her seem less aggressive. She was inherently proactive, so she didn’t need a more aggressive look, such as one with prominent features, which might make her rivals among women instinctively wary.
The face in the mirror resembled her previous look about seventy to eighty percent, but it was paler and lacked color. However, her hair was thicker, possibly because she had been too concerned about hair loss in her previous life.
For breakfast, she had meat pies, meat soup, a bowl of thick, smooth millet porridge, and a cup of milk. According to her memory, this was quite a refined breakfast. There were no such delicacies as buns, dumplings, or tofu soup in her previous life. The food and production levels of the Da Li Dynasty were comparable to the early Wei, Jin, and Sui dynasties, indicating a parallel development in their world.
For breakfast, Lu Songli only ate half of the meat pie, half a bowl of meat soup, and took just two sips of the milk, which tasted too gamey for her to continue drinking. However, she finished all of the millet porridge. She knew that the leftover food would be shared among the maids in the courtyard, so none of it would go to waste.
After breakfast, she took a walk around the courtyard to help with digestion.
In the early morning of October, the wind was cool, and the sun was warm. In Xiaofeng Courtyard, the servants were sweeping up the yellowed, fallen leaves. The sunlight, gently warming her without being too hot, added to the pleasant atmosphere.
The Lu family’s four-section courtyard with a garden had been a reward from the emperor. Her parents lived in the main courtyard, her two brothers had chosen the northwestern courtyards, leaving the northeastern Xiaofeng Courtyard, which had the best views and lighting, for her.
Her courtyard was quite spacious, with the area in front filled with various well-tended flowers and plants, making it a place where one could easily lose track of time. Even the row house she had purchased at great expense couldn’t compare to this courtyard, and not to mention, the entire Lu family residence was located in the prime real estate of Chang’an. Thinking of this, she felt invigorated—what a winner in life she was! In comparison, other troubles seemed insignificant.
Lu Songli had just started stretching when someone from the main courtyard came to inform her that the lady of the Xie family had come to visit, bringing gifts, and that Xie Zhan had also come along. Her parents wanted her to go to the front courtyard.
“Alright, let’s get going,” she thought. “Wherever you are, you have to keep striving. As long as there is life, the struggle never ends.”
In the Lu family’s guest hall, since it wasn’t a formal court day, Lu Desheng didn’t have to attend the morning court, so the three members of the Lu family met with the Xie mother and son together.
After both sides took their seats as guests and hosts, Lu Songli took advantage of the morning light to carefully examine Xie Zhan from head to toe. Last night, when she had just arrived in this world, her eyes had been blurry from the water, and the poor lighting had made everything appear indistinct.
There was no doubt that Xie Zhan was handsome. He had a broad forehead, sword-like eyebrows, and bright, deep-set eyes. His nose was high and straight, and his jawline was as sharp and smooth as if carved by a divine hand, leaving a strong impression. His tall, well-proportioned figure, possibly shaped by his noble upbringing, exuded a natural air of grace and refinement. When he stood holding a fan, he truly looked like a gentleman of extraordinary character.
She thought to herself, “No wonder the young women of the capital flock to him.” If the original betrothal agreement hadn’t existed, the matchmakers of the capital would have worn down the threshold of the Xie family’s door. Even with the engagement in place, he was still the most sought-after young man in Chang’an.
After the servants served tea, Lady Xie gently took Lu Songli’s hand, first expressing concern for her health. Then, in a tone full of sympathy, she said, “I heard about what happened last night. Who could have imagined such an accident would occur? Poor A’li, you really suffered yesterday.”
Lu Songli slightly lowered her head, acting obediently and demurely like the original Lu Songli, but inwardly, she thought to herself, “This was inevitable.”
“Sigh! The ones most affected by this are the Zhao family’s daughter and little A’li. Somehow, the events of last night were leaked by some gossiping woman, and as the rumors spread, the talk became especially harsh. The Zhao girl was inconsolable when she heard and cried all night at home. Lady Zhao came to our house early this morning, asking us to decide what to do, but what could we possibly decide?”
Lu Songli found it amusing. Most of the harsh rumors were probably directed at Zhao Yutan; any talk about her likely wasn’t nearly as intense.
The three members of the Lu family remained silent, but they all caught the underlying meaning in Lady Xie’s words. It seemed she was probing for something.
The three members of the Lu family remained silent, making Lady Xie feel a bit awkward.
“Why would the Zhao family come to you for a solution instead of going to the Qin family?” Lu Desheng asked, his tone neither too harsh nor too soft.
“Yes, what does the Zhao family mean by this?” added Madam Lu.
Lady Xie hesitated before responding, “Well… after Ah Zhan rescued the Zhao family’s eldest daughter last night, the Zhao family expressed their wish for Ah Zhan to marry her, to quell the rumors.”
Lu Songli clicked her tongue in disbelief. The Zhao family was really moving too fast. She couldn’t believe that in just one night, the rumors could have become so damaging. It seemed the Zhao family was finally showing their true intentions.
Lady Lu (Madam Jiang) didn’t hold back, “This is shameless of the Zhao family! Xie Zhan saved her, and now they want to cling to him?”
Lu Desheng then asked, “So what does your Xie family plan to do?”
The Xie family, still wanting to maintain their dignity, responded vaguely, “This matter primarily depends on your family’s stance. The reputation of the young ladies is important, and if it’s not handled properly, people will continue to gossip about both Zhao’s eldest daughter and Ali in the future.”
Hearing this, Lu Desheng retorted, “So, if I’m understanding you correctly, Lady Xie, your family isn’t at all concerned about what happened last night?”
Lady Xie looked troubled and replied, “This situation has its reasons. I know that A’li is entirely innocent.”
Hearing this, Lu Desheng and his wife softened their expressions. Exactly, the situation had a cause! When saving someone, some physical contact is inevitable. It’s not like there was any inappropriate hugging or anything, and their A’li was indeed blameless!
Lady Lu, also known as Madam Jiang, then said, “As long as your Xie family doesn’t mind what happened last night, our engagement stands as it is. If the Zhao family wants to latch on, they can only do so as a concubine!”
Lu Songli found the whole situation rather absurd. Could a mere physical contact during a rescue lead to such a significant upheaval in a marriage arrangement? But then she remembered the old tales and operas she had heard before, where a wealthy young lady, after being saved from drowning by a beggar, would either have to acknowledge him as her savior or be sent to a temple to become a nun. She couldn’t help but internally criticize the whole scenario.
Madam Jiang’s words left Lady Xie speechless for a moment, but then she shifted her tone. “However, considering the potential long-term impact of this situation, I believe we should be cautious about the marriage arrangements between our families.”
Lu Desheng, with a sarcastic tone, replied, “Lady Xie, you’re truly remarkable, able to speak for both the Zhao and Qin families.” He was seething inside; if it weren’t for the need to consider his daughter’s reputation, he would have already thrown them out.
Lu Songli stifled a laugh. Her father was a master of sarcasm.
“Exactly! If you’re bothered by it, just say so. Acting all virtuous while playing dirty—it’s disgusting!” Lady Lu added bluntly, not holding back.
Lu Songli couldn’t help but admire her parents’ unwavering fortitude. They were on fire today.
Their straightforwardness left Lady Xie in an awkward and embarrassed position.
Finally, Xie Zhan, who had been silent until now, spoke up, “Uncle, Aunt, this situation affects not just our two families but also the Zhao and Qin families. Our side believes it would be best if the four families could meet soon to discuss and resolve this matter, minimizing any negative impact. What do you think?”
His words were reasonable, and given that he was still the future son-in-law of the Lu family, Lu Desheng and his wife, considering their daughter’s situation, refrained from responding harshly for once.