Chapter 39

Upon hearing this, Shen Wei paused for a moment, her hand still holding the handkerchief. However, she didn’t say anything. She simply nodded and continued to gently wipe her hands. Mo Qi, understanding the situation, called out to the outside, “Please bring the eldest young master in.”

After the people entered,

Shen Wei placed the handkerchief aside and then lifted the curtain to glance at Lu Qi Huai. Noticing his posture, she turned to the maid beside her and instructed, “Go prepare a bowl and chopsticks for the eldest son.” As soon as she finished speaking, the maid respectfully acknowledged and left to make arrangements.

It had been several months since Lu Qi Huai entered the residence. By now, the maids of Taoran Zhai had already regarded him as the eldest son of the family. Furthermore, they had heard that the Crown Prince had personally come to deliver an imperial decree, appointing the eldest son as a Third-Rank Supervisor.

Although the maids didn’t understand the specifics of this official position, they knew it was a high rank.

The second master of the West Courtyard had been in the officialdom for many years and still only held the position of Left Minister of the Ministry of Revenue at the Third Rank. Yet, their eldest son had been appointed directly to this high position. Who knows what kind of future he would have? Some time ago, the second madam of the West Courtyard had been flaunting her husband’s promotion, often showing off in front of the others and even being disrespectful to the madam.

Now that the eldest son had an official position and the madam had support, they no longer needed to pay attention to the second madam.

These maids were, of course, hoping that the masters would be well, so their own lives would become easier… Now that the eldest son had such a situation and would often come to greet the madam, they were naturally happy to see it.

Lu Qi Huai didn’t refuse Shen Wei’s arrangement. He simply bowed to her and said with a smile, “Thank you, Mother…” After speaking, he sat down across from her.

As soon as he sat, a maid brought fresh bowls, tea for rinsing his mouth, and a handkerchief for wiping his hands. The maid standing beside Lu Qi Huai offered to help him wash, but he refused. Though his hand was inconvenient, he didn’t need help for something as simple as rinsing his mouth or wiping his hands.

The maid who had been standing beside him hesitated upon seeing this. She looked at Shen Wei, who nodded in acknowledgment, signaling that it was fine. The maid then sighed in relief and retreated.

It was noon, and both side windows were opened a few panels. The March weather had fully returned to spring, and birds occasionally chirped on the high branches outside.

Shen Wei watched the young man across from her and, thinking of the imperial decree earlier, spoke, “Since His Majesty has issued an order, you should stay home and recuperate properly. There is no need to rush into your duties.”

After saying this, she seemed to think of something and added, “Now that you have such a heavy responsibility, it seems that peace will be hard to come by. The messages in the gatekeeper’s room have piled up quite a bit these past few days. I’m afraid there will be even more after today… If you don’t mind, I can send someone to collect them and have them filtered for you.”

Lu Qi Huai smiled as he listened to her. He put the handkerchief aside and replied, “Mother, you can take care of these things as you see fit.”

In fact, he didn’t come today just to share a meal with her.

Earlier, at the Great Cheng Zhai, he had noticed that when Shen Wei heard the content of the imperial decree, she showed no surprise at all, as if she had known the contents beforehand… Even though he didn’t know what official title Zhao Zhun would grant him, it seemed as though this woman had already foreseen everything.

Thinking of this, his fingers subconsciously tightened around the edge of the table, and his gaze at Shen Wei became more meaningful.

Shen Wei didn’t notice his gaze. She simply nodded and then told the maid beside her, “Serve the dishes.”

At her command, the maids immediately began serving the food, and neither of them said anything further. For a moment, the large room was filled only with the sound of birds chirping outside. Shen Wei, having eaten lightly with some vegetables, felt content enough.

When Mo Qi saw her set down her bowl, she offered her a handkerchief.

Shen Wei took it and wiped her hands. Her gaze drifted unconsciously to the young man across from her. The sunlight filtered through the latticework windows and fell on Lu Qi Huai, casting a soft glow on him and highlighting his elegant features. It made him look even more handsome and refined.

Thinking back, this was probably the second time she had shared a meal with him. The first time had been when Lu Qi Huai had just entered the residence…

Back then, the young man had seemed weak and humble, as though afraid to do anything wrong, not even daring to speak more than necessary.

But now? Only a few months had passed, and the young man before her had already adjusted to his current identity. Anyone who saw him now wouldn’t believe that this poised, confident young man had once been that timid.

For some reason—

As Shen Wei looked at Lu Qi Huai, she couldn’t help but recall the moment during the spring hunt when he looked at her over the crowd.

That glance had been calm and emotionless, yet it seemed to carry many unspoken meanings.

That look…

It wasn’t the look of a young man, but one that seemed to have experienced many hardships and seen much of the world.

Shen Wei always felt that there was a great secret hidden behind Lu Qi Huai. She had thought about it many times these days, whether it was the attitude of Zhao Wan and others toward him or the scenes from the book. She had recalled them many times, and while she hadn’t thought much about them before, now she could see there were indeed some unusual aspects.

Perhaps if she figured out these key points, Lu Qi Huai’s secret would be revealed. But these clues always seemed to tangle together, impossible to untangle.

Lu Qi Huai, of course, noticed Shen Wei’s gaze. He put down his chopsticks, took the handkerchief offered by the maid, and wiped his hands. Then he raised his eyes to look at her and, with a smile, asked, “Mother, is there something you wish to say to me?”

Shen Wei, hearing his voice, came back to her senses.

Her expression remained unchanged, and she replied casually, “It’s nothing…”

As she spoke, she placed the handkerchief aside, but before she could say anything else, someone outside, leaning on a guqin, parted the curtain and entered.

The hand that was holding the guqin was grasping an embossed invitation with golden characters and painted clouds. When she saw Shen Wei coming in response to the sound, she greeted them with a bow and then stood up straight, respectfully saying to Shen Wei, “Madam, the palace has sent you an invitation. The Queen Mother requests your presence in the palace tomorrow.”

Shen Wei, upon hearing this, said nothing in reply.

At this moment, the invitation from the Queen at Weiyang Palace was naturally about Lu Qi-huai, and though it was unclear what Lu Qi-huai himself thought, to others, he had already been regarded as a servant to the Crown Prince. Moreover, Lu Qi-huai had saved the Emperor during the hunt, and so the Queen would naturally extend her condolences and make inquiries.

Shen Wei simply nodded, acknowledging the information. She said, “Understood,” followed by another order, “Have the steward prepare the carriage for tomorrow’s trip to the palace.”

Yi Qin, upon hearing the instructions, promptly responded and bowed again before retreating.

Once Yi Qin had left, Shen Wei said no more. She lifted her hand, and Mo Qi helped her stand. Then, she glanced at Lu Qi-huai. She had originally intended to tell him to rest early, but when she saw his expression, which seemed more somber than before, and his eyes that had become colder, she hesitated.

She followed his gaze and saw he was staring at the invitation that Yi Qin had brought. However, by the time she looked back at Lu Qi-huai, his expression had returned to its usual calm demeanor.

Lu Qi-huai lowered the hand that had been holding the handkerchief, stood up, and cupped his hands toward Shen Wei. “Since you have matters to attend to, I will take my leave first.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he bowed again and began to leave.

Shen Wei watched his retreating figure, furrowing her brows. It seemed that whenever the palace was mentioned, Lu Qi-huai’s attitude always seemed unusual… The last time, during the Lantern Festival, she had thought it was for his ambition to rise to power, but what about now?

Now, he was already a high-ranking official, granted a third-rank position by the Emperor, and no longer needed to rely on other means to climb the ranks.

So why did Lu Qi-huai appear so different?

Mo Qi, noticing that she had not moved, softly called her name, “Madam?”

Hearing Mo Qi, Shen Wei withdrew her gaze. Without saying anything, she turned and walked back inside, her thoughts still lingering.

—-

West Courtyard.

The bright moon hung high in the sky outside the window, and the candles inside were brightly lit.

It was already time for dinner, but no one inside had moved. They sat solemnly in their chairs, their expressions anything but pleasant. Even Lu Qi-xuan, usually calm and composed, wore a dark expression as if angered by his encounters with Lu Qi-huai. The thought of their confrontations had stirred up his feelings of rage, making it hard to calm down.

“Father, are we really just going to watch Lu Qi-huai rise to prominence?” said Lu Qi-yan. After speaking, he noticed his father remained silent, so he added, “He only saved the Emperor once, and now he’s already on equal footing with you in the court. Father, if we let this go unchecked, soon the title of Duke will belong to him!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell into an even deeper silence.

Lu Qi-xuan, though silent, turned his gaze toward Lu Buxiang.

Wang Shi, sitting beside Lu Buxiang, was more outspoken than Lu Qi-xuan. Seeing that Lu Buxiang had not spoken, she decided to speak herself. “Yes, if he really becomes the Duke, how will we have good days ahead?” she said harshly. “If we had known this child would be so troublesome, we should have never let him into the family.”

Lu Buxiang finally lifted his head, his expression still composed as ever, but his hands, resting on the table, tightened slightly.

The candles in the room burned brightly, but it seemed that the light on Lu Buxiang’s side had become dimmer, casting shadows on his figure. Since learning of this matter in the court, his heart had not settled.

For many years, he had been cautious and worked hard in the court, always able to maintain his composure no matter what happened.

But today…

He had nearly lost his temper.

Lu Buxiang recalled how, after the court meeting, many officials had smiled and congratulated him, saying, “Congratulations, Master Lu, you have such a good nephew. At such a young age, he has such abilities. Truly, it’s a blessing for the Lu family…” Though they spoke congratulatory words, most of the looks in their eyes were filled with mockery.

How could they not mock him?

Even he thought it was a great irony.

He had worked so hard for many years to attain the position of third-rank assistant minister, while his good nephew had instantly risen to the same level.

Lu Buxiang tightened his grip on the table, closed his eyes, and took a moment to calm himself before speaking: “The Emperor personally conferred this title. It is a recognition of our Lu family. If others hear of it and it reaches the Emperor’s ears, it would be disrespectful.”

After a pause, he continued: “From now on, none of you are to mention this matter again. Whether it’s about positions or the Duke title, that will be decided by the Empress and the Emperor.”

Lu Qi-yan and Wang Shi wanted to say something in reply but fell silent under Lu xiang’s gaze. Seeing them stop, Lu Buxiang said no more. He stood up and walked out, but before leaving, he spoke to Lu Qi-xuan: “Qi-xuan, come with me.”

Lu Qi-xuan immediately responded.

The two of them walked out one after the other. Throughout the walk, Lu Buxiang did not speak, and neither did Lu Qi-xuan.

When they reached the study—

Lu Buxiang lit the lamp, then sat in the grand chair, looking at Lu Qixuan by the candlelight. After a moment, he spoke, “You’ve been silent until now. Is there something you wish to discuss with me privately?”

“Earlier, with Mother and Yandi present, it wasn’t convenient for me to speak…” Lu Qixuan paused briefly, then continued looking at Lu Buxiang, “But whether it’s Mother or Yandi, they’ve both said something that makes sense. If we continue to let Lu Qihuai act as he does, the Lu family will lose any chance to speak up in the future.”

Lu Buxiang didn’t respond immediately.

He just poured two cups of tea, then said, “Sit down.”

Lu Qixuan lightly acknowledged, then sat opposite Lu Buxiang. After taking a sip of tea, he continued, “Although His Majesty has already decided on the crown prince, the prince is indecisive, obsessed with poetry and painting, lacking His Majesty’s authority. If not for the Liu family’s influence, His Majesty would have probably removed the crown prince’s title by now.”

After finishing his words, he noticed Lu Buxiang’s hand pause around his teacup, but it wasn’t until a moment later that Lu Buxiang quietly spoke, “And the Jin Wang is different. He possesses royal demeanor, resembling His Majesty in both appearance and temperament. Over the years, the Jin Wang has done many things in secret, but His Majesty has turned a blind eye, which shows that His Majesty favors Jin Wang over the crown prince.”

Hearing this, Lu Buxiang finally lifted his head.

His fingers traced the pattern on his teacup as his expression remained calm in the candlelight. His voice, however, was slightly heavy. “What do you want to do?”

“Father…”

Lu Qixuan placed the teacup on the table and, by the candlelight, looked at Lu Buxiang. “I want to align myself with Jin Wang.” As he spoke, he noticed Lu Buxiang’s contemplative expression and quickly added, “Father, you also saw it. Now that Lu Qihuai is the crown prince’s subordinate, even if we, father and son, join forces, we won’t gain much in front of the prince.”

“If that’s the case, we might as well go the opposite way.”

“The Jin Wang and the crown prince’s forces are nearly equal. Moreover, now that Lu Qihuai has taken the position that the Jin Wang desired, the Jin Wang likely sees him as a thorn in his side. Why not take a risk? If the Jin Wang succeeds, we’ll gain great favor. At that time, not only riches and honors, but even the position of the Duke of Rong will be yours, Father.”

Lu Buxiang admitted that he was indeed wavering.

Originally, he just wanted to work steadily in the Ministry of Revenue, wait a few more years to become the Minister, and avoid any political disputes. He only needed to focus on his own work… But seeing the current situation, stability would not bring him the results he wanted.

However…

He lowered his eyes, his fingers tightening on the desk. If he truly got involved in political struggles, there would be no turning back.

If Jin Wang succeeded, things would clear up in time.

But if he didn’t…

What would their outcome be?

Lu Qixuan understood what his father was thinking. His father had always been cautious, and making such a decision was never easy for him… But they had no time left. Realizing this, he looked at the man before him and called out, “Father.”

Lu Buxiang, hearing the voice, finally raised his face.

He looked at Lu Qixuan for a long moment before speaking, “When you can truly earn the Jin Wang’s favor, then we’ll talk.” This was his way of not blocking Lu Qixuan’s choice to align with the Jin Wang.

Though this was not exactly what Lu Qixuan had hoped for, he knew it was the greatest concession his father could make at this time… Therefore, hearing this, he didn’t press the matter further. He stood, bowed respectfully, and then withdrew. Outside, the bright moon hung high in the sky, and as he stood in the corridor looking at the moonlight, his expression was somewhat clouded.

He didn’t believe he couldn’t outmaneuver a child raised in a concubine’s house.

—-

The next day.

Shen Wei boarded the carriage to the palace at the appointed time. This time, she didn’t bring Lu Mi Zhi, and instead, she read a book inside the carriage. Because of the wooden plaque and the official notice from the palace, the carriage was allowed to pass without any obstacles.

About half an hour later, the carriage stopped at the palace road.

Palace servants were already waiting there. Seeing Shen Wei step out of the carriage, they quickly greeted her, and after she returned the gesture, they respectfully said, “Madam, may you be at peace.”

Shen Wei merely nodded in response and politely said, “You’re too kind, miss.” It was often said that children were hard to deal with, especially those around important figures. If she offended them, who knew what sort of traps they might set behind her back?

Thus, it was always best to remain polite.

The servant, hearing the polite response, smiled even more broadly. She stood up and then said, “Madam, please follow me…” With that, she led Shen Wei ahead.

Shen Wei didn’t say anything. She was still supported by Mo Qi as they followed the servant’s steps. After passing through a small path and crossing the winding corridor, they passed by a palace when Shen Wei couldn’t help but stop and asked, “What place is that?”