Chapter 7

Ignoring Wei Yuntai, who was suppressing his anger, Lu Minghua got out of bed.

“Mama,” she called out hoarsely.

Mama Li had been waiting outside and, hearing some commotion earlier, was already worried. As soon as she heard Lu Minghua’s voice, she immediately pushed the door open and came in.

“Young Madam, what happened?” she asked anxiously, seeing Lu Minghua’s disheveled clothes and flushed cheeks.

“Mama, prepare some water and call the physician. The heir and I have been drugged.”

Mama Li was shocked and didn’t react immediately.

Wei Yuntai looked at Lu Minghua, surprised she would call for help so openly. Frowning slightly, he reminded her, “Don’t make a fuss. Just say I’m feeling unwell.”

Pausing for a moment, Lu Minghua realized she had been indiscreet. But upon further thought, she felt little regret. She had been trying to maintain her dignity all along.

With this in mind, Lu Minghua’s thoughts drifted.

Mama Li looked at Lu Minghua, saw her nod, and then agreed, turning to leave.

After a chaotic half-night, Lu Minghua finally felt relieved after drinking the medicine prescribed by the physician and coming out of the cold water.

Beside her, Wei Yuntai lowered his gaze, hiding the complexity within. He hadn’t expected Lu Minghua to hate him so much that she would choose to soak in cold water to avoid losing her composure. Yes, she had always been capable of taking risks.

As her mind finally cleared, Lu Minghua felt utterly exhausted, almost wanting to sleep for a long time. But lying on the bed, the events of the night kept replaying in her mind, her thoughts swirling. Memories of the past surfaced, and she still vividly remembered the love and sweetness of their early marriage. Those were the best times she had experienced in the past decade. But the next moment, Wei Yuntai’s cold and distant expression appeared.

Caught between these conflicting emotions, Lu Minghua sighed silently, feeling an indescribable weariness.

In the main courtyard, Madam Sun had already retired for the night, but hearing that a physician had been called to Chunshan Courtyard, the maid bravely woke her up.

After listening, she paused. “Mama, what do you think Yuntai is thinking?”

Lu Minghua’s years of respectful attentiveness had made her subconsciously overlook her attitude. She thought that Wei Yuntai was unwilling, causing her headache.

Lu Minghua had suggested taking concubines, which she was willing to do, but she preferred to have a legitimate grandson. That’s why she had sent the spiked sweet soup tonight. The drug wasn’t too strong and wouldn’t harm them, only to give a little push, but she hadn’t expected this outcome.

The maid couldn’t answer this question, so after thinking for a while, she cautiously said, “Madam, instead of worrying, why not ask the heir directly?”

Madam Sun thought carefully but didn’t respond.

The next morning, seeing Wei Yuntai’s slightly subdued smile and Lu Minghua’s usual respectful demeanor, she felt helpless.

“These are the ones I selected. They come from respectable families and are somewhat literate. Choose the one you like and take her back,” she said directly after they finished their greetings, not waiting for Wei Yuntai to speak.

Wei Yuntai paused and said, “Mother, why this suggestion? I have no intention of taking concubines.”

“Yunxuan’s child is almost born, and you still have no news. This time, listen to me, and don’t refuse again.”

Wei Yuntai had no such intention and looked at Lu Minghua, hoping she would refuse.

Having slept poorly and feeling slightly fatigued, Lu Minghua was gently massaging her temples. Seeing this, she stopped and smiled, saying, “This was my suggestion. Don’t worry, heir. If there are children, I will treat them as my own.”

Wei Yuntai frowned slightly, a hint of confusion in his eyes. He couldn’t understand what Lu Minghua was trying to do.

“I thought it would be best for Minghua to have a legitimate son first, but since you are unwilling, take them back today,” Madam Sun added, her gaze falling on Wei Yuntai.

Wei Yuntai visibly froze, instinctively looking at Madam Sun.

“Mother, was that soup last night your doing?” he asked, his voice softening unconsciously.

Beside him, Lu Minghua suddenly smiled with a hint of mockery in her expression.

Wei Yuntai’s gaze caught this, and his heart skipped a beat.

“Of course—” Madam Sun began, feeling it was inappropriate for an elder to do such a thing and not wanting to elaborate. Hearing the surprise in his voice, she looked at Lu Minghua, who remained expressionless, seemingly unaware of Wei Yuntai’s suspicion.

Sensing the rift between them, Madam Sun’s thoughts turned.

Lu Minghua sat there, a faint, ambiguous smile on her lips. She simply found Wei Yuntai laughable. Did he think she would resort to such dirty tricks for him?

No, he wasn’t worth it.

Madam Sun didn’t see an issue, but Wei Yuntai felt a moment of confusion.

Only a moment. He never trusted Lu Minghua. If his mother said so, she might have been deceived by her.

Feeling his sudden, deep gaze, Lu Minghua lowered her eyes, a trace of sarcasm flashing in them. She was too familiar with that look and wondered what crime Wei Yuntai would accuse her of this time.

“I don’t want concubines,” Wei Yuntai said, regaining his composure and trying to refuse again.

“Just a few maids to serve you, not concubines. Take them back, and if they are useful, keep them. If not, sell them,” Madam Sun said, softening her tone to avoid conflict over such a small matter.

Her words were a concession. Wei Yuntai, feeling dissatisfied, couldn’t argue further and had to agree.

So, after paying their respects, the couple returned to Chunshan Courtyard with five beautiful maids. The original servants in the courtyard were filled with speculation.

Wei Yuntai didn’t even look at the maids. He changed his clothes and went to the Ministry of Revenue.

Several maids, their hopeful eyes dimming, had been selected by Madam Sun for their exceptional qualities—elegance, charm, beauty, and even literary skills. Most importantly, they were clever. Seeing Wei Yuntai ignore them, they immediately turned to Lu Minghua, trying to curry favor.

Mama Li’s face hardened, and she was ready to dismiss them, but Lu Minghua stopped her and addressed the maids.

“Mother arranged you for the heir. You don’t need to concern yourselves with other matters in the courtyard. Just focus on serving the heir,” she said, then called Xiao Chun to arrange their duties.

Xiao Chun and Xiao Xia, her personal maids from the Lu family, had grown up with her and were her trusted confidantes. Along with Mama Li, they firmly controlled Chunshan Courtyard. As for Xiao Qiu and Xiao Dong, they were assigned by Madam Sun after Lu Minghua married into the Wei family, as she felt having only two senior maids was unseemly. Initially, they were second-tier maids in her courtyard.

After arranging the beauties, the shop steward had been waiting. Feeling increasingly drowsy, Lu Minghua drank some hot tea to refresh herself, feeling warm all over. She called someone in, planning to handle matters before taking a short nap.

When she got married, the Lu family gave her two shops, a farm, and a mountain. Over the years, she had managed them so well that their value had nearly doubled.

After reporting the shops’ recent income and expenses, the steward stepped forward and whispered, “Madam, a while ago, one of the shop’s workers went south to buy goods and seemed to have seen the person you described.”

“What?” Lu Minghua exclaimed, unable to control her voice in her excitement.

“The person matched your description, but the worker only saw them by chance and remembered afterward. There were no further discoveries, and we can’t be sure it’s the person you’re looking for,” the steward said, feeling guilty.

Hearing this, Lu Minghua felt a bit disappointed. Finding a trace was already good news, so she forced a smile and asked for more details, learning that the sighting was at a dock, which disappointed her even more. With people coming and going at the dock, who knew where that little monk might end up?

Taking a deep breath and seeing the steward’s unease, Lu Minghua forced a comforting smile and said, “It’s okay if you didn’t find him this time. But this person is very important to me. The shop’s matters can wait, but he must be found.”

The steward nodded immediately and, seeing no other matters, took his leave.

In the main hall, Lu Minghua’s thoughts were in turmoil.

If she could find that person—

But she could only mobilize the shop’s stewards and workers, whose abilities were limited. The south was vast, and finding someone would be extremely difficult unless Wei Yuntai…

After hesitating for a while, she bit her lip and made up her mind.

Wei Yuntai had always wanted to know. He would surely do his best to find him.

“Young Madam—why is your face so red? You must have a fever. I’ll call the physician,” Mama Li said, her voice rising as she called for a maid to fetch the doctor.

Feeling Mama Li’s touch, Lu Minghua raised her hand to her forehead and realized it was hot. She had felt warm before but thought it was from drinking hot tea. It seemed she had a fever from soaking in cold water last night, she thought.

After making arrangements, Mama Li hurried back in, helping Lu Minghua to bed while muttering. “I told you not to soak in cold water last night, but you didn’t listen. Now you’re sick. What are we going to do?” she said, unable to hide her worry, glancing at the door.

“Don’t worry, Mama. It’s just a cold. I’ve always been healthy. I’ll be fine,” Lu Minghua reassured her softly, seeing her agitation and changing the subject. “Mama, what did you want to tell me earlier?”

“How can it be nothing? A cold can be serious if not treated properly,” Li Mama muttered, saying a few prayers.

“Mama, please tell me. I’ll feel better once you do.”

“That girl Cuiyun has left the residence,” Li Mama said, lowering her voice.

“Mama, what do you think Lu Mingxi is trying to do?” Lu Minghua asked, puzzled.

Cuiyun was also someone she brought from the Lu family, but due to Lu Mingxi’s constant targeting since childhood, Lu Minghua had always been wary of these people. Eventually, she discovered that some of them were indeed Lu Mingxi’s spies.

She wasn’t surprised but still couldn’t understand what Lu Mingxi was trying to achieve.

Unaware of the full story, Mama Li assumed Lu Minghua was heartbroken by Lu Mingxi and suppressed her anger, saying, “Second Miss has been spoiled. Don’t be angry, Miss. If she continues like this, she’ll suffer eventually.”

After all, not everyone in the world is as foolish as Madam Qin.

“Really?” But with Wei Yuntai around, that day might never come.

The thought of being entangled with this person for the rest of her life brought back the overwhelming fatigue.

Outside, a maid reported that the physician had arrived.

The old doctor wasn’t surprised by her condition. He had seen her soaking in cold water the previous night and had even prescribed medicine to prevent a cold, but it seemed it hadn’t worked. After carefully checking her pulse, he immediately prescribed and prepared the medicine. By the time it was ready, Lu Minghua had already fallen asleep.

Seeing her flushed face, Mama Li felt heartbroken and half-supported her to wake up and drink the medicine.

Groggily opening her eyes, Lu Minghua took the medicine bowl and drank it all.

Mama Li helped her lie down again, unable to hold back her tears.

Her poor Miss. When Second Miss took medicine as a child, Madam Qin would coax and feed her personally, always having candied fruit ready. But when it came to her Miss, there wasn’t even time for a glance. As a child, her Miss would hold her hand and ask to be coaxed, but in the end, she would just calmly take the medicine and drink it in one go. She hadn’t asked for candied fruit in a long time.

On the other side, at the Earl of Wen’an’s residence.

A rare seasonal fruit was placed in a fruit bowl, its sweet fragrance filling the room and soothing the mood. However, after hearing what Cuiyun had said, Lu Mingxi, half-reclining on the beauty couch, accidentally dropped the poetry collection in her hand.

The maid beside her quickly picked it up, relieved to see it was undamaged, and gently placed it back on the small table.

This poetry collection was a gift from Wei Yuntai, and Lu Mingxi had always cherished it. If anything happened to it, she would be upset. But now, she didn’t even glance at it. Instead, she sat up, gritting her teeth, and said, “Arranging concubines for Wei Yuntai, has Lu Minghua gone mad?”

Cuiyun stood quietly below, not daring to speak.

Her emotions fluctuated, finally settling into an expressionless face. Lu Mingxi carefully inquired about the concubines, her heart growing heavier.

Could Wei Yuntai really remain indifferent to such beauties? Closing her eyes, she asked herself.

“Don’t worry, Miss. The heir didn’t even look at those maids. They won’t cause any trouble,” Cuiyun said, seeing the coldness on her face fade slightly and daring to speak.

“And in the future?” Lu Mingxi asked, her eyes sharp as knives.

Which man doesn’t love a beautiful wife and concubines? Even if Wei Yuntai isn’t interested now, what about in the long run?

Did Lu Minghua think that having beauties around would make Wei Yuntai forget about her? She was dreaming!

And Wei Yuntai, thinking that curing her would settle everything between them, was also delusional! She had initially planned to take things slowly, but now…

Facing those eyes, Cuiyun shivered and quickly lowered her head, not daring to speak further.

“Miss, it’s time to take your medicine,” a maid reminded softly from outside.

Lu Mingxi’s heart stirred, and she ordered the door to be opened.

Moments later, looking at the bowl of black medicine, she raised her hand and gently poured it into the basin.

“Remember, I felt unwell, and as soon as the medicine touched my lips, I vomited it out.”

The maid’s voice trembled as she acknowledged the order.