Chapter 56

When Lu Minghua returned, she was cautious, preparing to face the impending storm. However, she was met with a completely transformed situation. Everything in the main house seemed fine. Her aunt was calm, her brother was honest, and her uncle was gentle. The maids and servants were all attentive and careful.

In the afternoon, Lu Minghua picked up her pen and wrote about the new vase she had chosen today. Coincidentally, there were blooming wintersweet flowers in the courtyard, so she picked one and placed it by the window. The faint fragrance filled the room, bringing a sense of tranquility. She didn’t say much, but the joy in her words was almost overflowing. After carefully writing the letter, she sealed it with wax and instructed Xiao Chun to deliver it to the outer courtyard.

The guards she had previously hired did not leave after she returned to the mansion. Instead, after informing her uncle—no, now she should call him father, though she still wasn’t used to it and often called him father instinctively—they stayed in the outer courtyard with the mansion’s guards.

Lu Minghua initially offered to cover the expenses for the guards, but her new father refused.

“It’s just a few guards. I can afford it. Are they useful?” Lu Chengwen had long known that Lu Minghua had hired guards but hadn’t commented on it. Now that she was his daughter, he could finally express his concern.

Lu Minghua naturally said they were good, which reassured Lu Chengwen. Speaking of which, the letter needed to be sent to Rongbao Pavilion on Fu’an Street, which required the help of those guards. Xiao Chun took the order and left. After tidying up her writing materials, Lu Minghua noticed a letter beside her and couldn’t help but smile.

Yesterday, she was distracted and received a letter from Yuan Ji’an but forgot to reply. This morning, he sent another letter expressing his disappointment at her lack of response, accusing her of breaking her promise and asking if she had been deceiving him.

“Why would I deceive you?” Lu Minghua muttered softly, a hint of teasing in her smile as she carefully folded the letter and put it away.

A maid came in to report, slightly bowing and saying cautiously, “Miss, Second Madam sent someone to invite you, saying she has something to discuss.”

Lu Minghua was slightly stunned.

Second Madam? She blinked and slowly smiled. Yes, she was no longer her mother but the Second Madam. She only needed to call her aunt now.

“No need. Just tell her I have something to do. Please ask Aunt to rest well.” Lu Minghua looked at the unfamiliar courtyard outside and said softly.

The maid acknowledged and left.

In the second house, Madam Qin’s face turned red after hearing the maid’s report.

“Didn’t you tell her I wanted to see her?” she asked, unwilling to give up.

The maid was startled, fearing she might not be able to catch her breath, and spoke even more cautiously, “The people in Miss’s courtyard didn’t let me in. It was all conveyed by the maids.”

“Does she hate me that much?” Madam Qin felt a deep bitterness as if the bitter medicine she had swallowed before was churning again. “But I am her biological mother,” she said.

The maid hurriedly comforted her, but in her heart, she thought, “A biological mother wouldn’t make her eldest daughter give up her husband to her younger sister. How can you expect her to treat you as a mother and be filial?”

Inside, the maid’s concerned words continued, but Madam Qin’s breathing grew heavier.

Clutching her chest, Madam Qin had to admit that she had truly lost this daughter.

Never to return.

Perhaps it was never meant to return; she should have known, she thought suddenly. This day had finally come, and inexplicably, she felt a sense of finality. Her chest grew heavier, and with the last breath she couldn’t catch, Madam Qin fainted.

The maid cried out in alarm and hurriedly called for the doctor.

On the other side, Lu Mingxi received the message and rushed over. She first ensured her medicine bowl was taken care of before feeling relieved. When the doctor arrived, it was chaos, and she stepped aside, impatiently watching everything unfold.

The small room and the ordinary surroundings all reminded her of the luxurious Marquis’ mansion. How wonderful it was there—

Her memories abruptly stopped, and Lu Mingxi’s face grew even more unpleasant.

No matter how good it was, it was all lost.

No, it couldn’t be. She had to think again, think again. Wasn’t it hard to find an ambitious scholar? Were there no other candidates?

The doctor’s face looked grim, and by the window, Lu Mingxi couldn’t help but drift off.

Several maids and servants glanced at her quietly, feeling a chill in their hearts. Despite how much the lady doted on her, now that she was so ill, she didn’t seem to care.

With no one to manage the second house, any small disturbance quickly spread throughout the mansion.

The maid beside Madam Yuan couldn’t help but tell her, knowing her mistress disapproved of Lu Mingxi, her words carried a hint of coldness.

“Despite how much Second Madam doted on her.”

“She’s always been heartless. She wouldn’t have treated Minghua that way if she had any conscience.” After the incident at the ancestral hall, Lu Chengwen showed Madam Yuan the evidence sent by the Marquis’ mansion, so she would be aware.

Honestly, it made her heart cold.

The second brother, who seemed ambitious but lacked talent and loved appearances, turned out to be such a person behind the scenes.

The maid didn’t know what had happened but didn’t ask, just agreed.

“But, in the end, it’s the second sister-in-law’s fault. Raising cats and dogs too indulgently makes them greedy, unable to tolerate their master getting close to other pets, thinking everything belongs to them, let alone people.”

“But some cats and dogs, even if they are like that, still have a conscience and know how to protect their owner. But Lu Mingxi—” Madam Yuan sneered. Looking at her today, it was clear she didn’t show any gratitude towards Madam Qin.

The maid didn’t respond. Her mistress could say such things, but she couldn’t. If she did, it would be insubordination and disrespect.

“Alright, remember this. From now on, if anyone from the second house comes, they are not allowed to disturb Minghua. I don’t care how it was before, but now Minghua is my daughter, and I won’t allow anyone to bother her with these troublesome matters,” Madam Yuan added.

The maid quickly smiled and said, “Miss Minghua is truly fortunate to have a mother like you.”

Despite everything, her mistress was fiercely protective of her children and never tolerated anyone speaking ill of them. She remembered how, years ago, she had a big argument with her sister-in-law over this.

“Fortunate or not, this is all I can do. I just hope she doesn’t cause any trouble for the family,” Madam Yuan said indifferently.

“When the two young ladies were here, you said the same thing,” the maid said with a smile.

This comment brought a touch of melancholy to Madam Yuan. Under Lu Chengwen’s arrangement, her two daughters had both married scholars. The eldest, Mingqing, married the son of Governor Songzhou, and the second, Mingzhu, married his friend’s son. Both sons-in-law were ambitious and had achieved high ranks at a young age, surpassing her eldest son. Now, her daughters were living with their husbands in different places. It had been a long time since they had seen each other.

“I wonder when we will see each other again,” Madam Yuan sighed.

“The two sons-in-law are doing well. Didn’t Master say that the eldest son-in-law’s performance was excellent this year and he is likely to be promoted? Maybe they will return to the capital next year to see you.” After officials’ evaluations, they usually return to the capital to await their next assignment.

“Don’t talk nonsense!” Madam Yuan glared at her, and the maid quickly fell silent, a bit flustered.

Official positions are limited. Those who return to the capital to wait are either highly valued or have no news. She would rather they not return and directly take up a new position. If her sons-in-law did well, her daughters would be well too.

The maid didn’t know these things, and Madam Yuan didn’t bother to explain, thinking she should ask the Earl to pay more attention.

With Madam Yuan’s instructions, all the disturbances didn’t reach Lu Minghua’s ears. If it weren’t for Xiao Chun and a few maids telling her, she wouldn’t have known. Even knowing, she only felt a moment of complexity before putting it aside. She wasn’t surprised by the outcome.

Prince Rui’s Mansion.

This luxurious mansion, vacant for a long time, finally welcomed its owner back.

Servants moved around the garden, unable to hide their smiles. A mansion without its prince was nothing. Many maids were eager to try their luck for wealth but couldn’t even enter the main courtyard.

“Your Highness, there’s a reply.” The personal guard returned, Zhao Shiyi holding the letter, happily delivering it to Yan Yuanhua.

Hearing this, Yan Yuanhua’s expression relaxed, and he smiled. Zhao Shiyi handed over the letter without waiting for more words. After a quick glance, he carefully read through it, smiling at the lighthearted tone.

“Lord Wen’an did a good deed,” he praised, feeling very pleased.

“Indeed, no one expected this from him,” Zhao Shiyi remarked, then laughed, “But Lord Wen’an has always been kind to Miss Lu. It seems she will have a smoother life from now on.”

When they were at the other residence, they saw that most of the people delivering things were sent by Lord Wen’an. As for Miss Lu’s biological parents, they only came a few times.

“What do you mean by ‘more comfortable’?” Yan Yuanhua looked at him disdainfully.

Zhao Shiyi was confused. Was there something wrong with what he said?

“With me here, Minghua will naturally be satisfied with everything,” Yan Yuanhua said in a low, confident voice.

“It was my mistake,” Zhao Shiyi realized, quickly saying and sneaking a glance at his master, unable to help but think that he even wanted to take credit for this. But what was the point of saying this here? Miss Lu didn’t know, and neither did anyone else.

After putting away the letter, Yan Yuanhua picked up his pen and started writing again.

“Your Highness, didn’t you just send a letter this morning?” Zhao Shiyi said instinctively.

“Shut up,” Yan Yuanhua said without looking up.

Zhao Shiyi silently closed his mouth, holding back the words that were about to come out.

After writing intermittently, Yan Yuanhua finally finished and asked, “Your Highness, do we still need to send that servant to the government office?”

The so-called servant was the person who had spread rumors, whom Lu Chengsong wanted to silence but who was saved by them.

When they received the letter from Yunshan, Yan Yuanhua ordered them to prepare to send that person to the government office at the right time to accuse Lu Chengsong of murder and silencing, to expose him and sever Miss Lu’s relationship with her biological father.

Unexpectedly, Lu Chengwen made a brilliant move by adopting Miss Lu.

“Wait a little longer,” Yan Yuanhua said after thinking for a moment. He didn’t believe someone like Lu Chengsong would give up so easily.

“Yes,” Zhao Shiyi replied.

The letter sent in the afternoon was returned by Xiao Chun in the evening.

Lu Minghua took the letter and was about to open it when she noticed Xiao Chun’s slightly red face and paused.

Thinking about it, Xiao Chun was already twenty years old this year. She had delayed her.

“What’s wrong with you?” Lu Minghua asked with a smile, seeing no anger or panic in her expression.

“Nothing, nothing,” Xiao Chun quickly said.

Lu Minghua didn’t believe her and looked at Xiao Xia.

“Miss, our Xiao Chun sought out that guard twice today, and someone misunderstood and teased her,” Xiao Xia said with a grin.

“You,” Xiao Chun couldn’t help but glare at her.

“It seems you’re also teasing. Well, you’re both not young anymore. If you’ve found a good match, let me know. As your mistress, I’ll make sure you have a grand wedding,” Lu Minghua said with a smile, looking at the two maids.

The two maids had served her for many years, and their bond was special. Naturally, she wanted them to have a good future.

“Miss!” Now, both of them blushed.

Lu Minghua laughed and called for Mama Li, giving her careful instructions before walking away to read her letter.

“I almost forgot. I need to take a good look,” Mama Li said, examining the two maids.

“Mama, you’re teasing us too. We want to stay with Miss and go nowhere,” Xiao Chun said first.

Those assigned to Lu Minghua’s service didn’t come from good backgrounds. Xiao Chun and Xiao Xia were sold into servitude due to disasters at home. They were sent directly to Lu Minghua, who didn’t mind and carefully taught them to read, understand reason, and behave properly. They remembered this kindness well.

“Miss can joke now. It’s really nice,” Xiao Xia, more lively, said happily, recalling how Lu Minghua had teased them earlier.

Lu Minghua had always been like this. Some would say she was sensible and steady, while others might say she was a bit dull. But they preferred her like this, happy and occasionally joking.

As the words fell, Xiao Chun and Mama Li thought for a moment and smiled too.

Yes, it was really nice.

After reading the letter, seeing the person happy again, and repeatedly reminding her not to forget to reply, Lu Minghua couldn’t help but laugh. When she saw the last sentence, her eyelashes trembled, and her heart fluttered.

“In the courtyard, there are wintersweet flowers. Later, I will pick one and keep it indoors. Seeing it is like seeing Minghua.”

She looked up at the wintersweet by the window, lost in thought, a smile spreading from her eyes.

In the faint fragrance of the wintersweet, Lu Minghua had a good night’s sleep.

“Minghua, accompany me for a walk later. Let’s pick out some clothes and jewelry for you. You’re still young; you shouldn’t be so plain every day.” The family had breakfast together, and Lu Minghua was still a bit unaccustomed to it. She was about to serve Madam Yuan some food, but Madam Yuan pulled her to sit beside her, looked her over, and said.

“Indeed, Madam is very considerate,” Lu Chengwen immediately agreed.

Lu Yaozhong just kept nodding and left after finishing breakfast.

Madam Yuan sent Lu Minghua back to change her clothes and do her hair properly. She was satisfied only when she saw Minghua return in a crimson dress. After getting ready, they set off for the bustling Xian’an Street in the capital, visiting one shop after another. Unexpectedly, halfway through, they ran into an acquaintance on the street.

Bai Jiayou.

It had been a long time since they last met, and Lu Minghua’s impression of him had almost faded. She didn’t recognize him at first until he looked at her and called out, “Miss Lu,” blushing.

Madam Yuan was not surprised and started chatting with Bai Jiayou. After a few words, they decided to walk together, and Madam Yuan smiled at Lu Minghua.

Suspecting that this encounter was not a coincidence, Lu Minghua’s smile faltered, feeling helpless.

Before, she was indifferent, but now…

She hesitated for a moment and decided that when she returned home in the evening, she would talk to Lu Chengwen and his wife about Yuan Ji’an. Just thinking about it made her heart race, and she felt anxious.