Chapter 70

Fifteenth Day of the First Lunar Month, Lantern Festival.

The crowd was bustling, and the lights were dazzling.

Yan Yuanhua led Lu Minghua through the crowd, her wrist in his hand. The sounds of people filled her ears, and her face was full of smiles.

Yan Yuanhua carried the crude lantern that Lu Minghua had made. Dressed in black, he walked among the brilliant lights, softening his sharp features.

“Minghua, what kind of lantern do you want?” he asked, looking at the lantern market on both sides. He turned to look at Lu Minghua, confident that he could get her whatever she wanted.

“Why didn’t you make one for me?” Lu Minghua looked up at him, a bit disappointed.

When she was making the lantern, she wondered if Yan Yuanhua would make one for her. But today, he came empty-handed, which disappointed her.

Realizing this thought, Lu Minghua suppressed it, thinking that Yan Yuanhua had spoiled her. She wouldn’t have felt this way before. But when Yan Yuanhua brought it up, she couldn’t help but ask.

Yan Yuanhua was stunned for a moment, then laughed. He leaned closer to Lu Minghua and said, a bit embarrassed, “I made an octagonal palace lantern for you, but it was too heavy for you to carry, so I left it in the carriage.”

He could have carried it, but he only had two hands. He wanted to hold Minghua’s hand and carry the lantern she made, so he had to leave it behind.

Unaware of his little thoughts, Lu Minghua was immediately appeased.

“Is that so?” she said softly, looking away, a bit embarrassed.

“I forgot to tell you,” Yan Yuanhua said with a smile, his voice full of warmth. “Don’t be angry.”

“I’m not angry.”

“Next time, just tell me directly, okay?” Yan Yuanhua said, feeling a bit guilty.

“Okay.” Lu Minghua’s eyelashes fluttered as she looked up at him and smiled.

Yan Yuanhua looked at her and smiled too.

Passersby laughed kindly at the sight of the loving couple. The man was handsome, and the woman was gentle. These two were truly dazzling, and Wei Yuntai saw them from afar. He paused in his steps, watching the two of them smile at each other, and that inexplicable, stifling feeling in his heart resurfaced. Staring blankly at the smile in Lu Minghua’s eyes and brows, he suddenly lost his focus.

Over there, Yan Yuanhua sensed this gaze and looked over from afar. Upon seeing Wei Yuntai’s dazed expression, his eyes suddenly turned sharp.

Wei Yuntai snapped out of it and awkwardly avoided eye contact.

“Which one do you like?” Not wanting Lu Minghua to see Wei Yuntai and ruin her mood, Yan Yuanhua smiled and urged her to look at the lantern market on both sides, gently holding her waist and back, turning her around to choose one.

Lu Minghua didn’t notice anything unusual; she just felt uncomfortable with his actions. She quickly pressed down his hand, gave him a reproachful look, and walked over by herself.

Yan Yuanhua smiled and withdrew his hand, following closely behind Lu Minghua, conveniently blocking Wei Yuntai’s direction.

Wei Yuntai had never seen Lu Minghua with such a playful and smiling expression. Subconsciously, he took a step forward, only to be stopped by someone.

Zhao Shiyi smiled faintly and said, “Heir Wei, please.”

“This is the lantern market. It’s not good for Prince Rui to be so domineering, is it?” Wei Yuntai restrained his expression and said gently.

“You can roam the lantern market as you please, but the condition is that Heir Wei should control his eyes and not look at things he shouldn’t.” Zhao Shiyi warned expressionlessly.

“…I understand.” Wei Yuntai was silent for a moment and replied.

Looking once more at that back figure from afar, his gaze swept past Zhao Shiyi, who was blocking him, and the surrounding guards. He finally turned around and went elsewhere.

Completely unaware of the undercurrents in the distance, Lu Minghua looked around and finally chose a cat lantern.

“Look, doesn’t it look like Ping An?” she smiled.

Yan Yuanhua didn’t think it resembled the fat cat at all, but since Lu Minghua liked it, he was happy too. He went up and guessed a lantern riddle, took it and gave it to her.

Both of them carried lanterns and played in the lantern market for a long time. Lu Minghua got a bit tired, so they headed back home.

After the Lantern Festival, Lu Minghua became busy. Previously, she never knew that getting married involved so many things – the three ceremonies and six rites, the phoenix coronet and the red bridal veil. The palace embroiderers repeatedly came to ask her opinions on the wedding dress and the Phoenix coronet, never stopping to discuss what style, pattern, jewels to inlay, and materials to use.

Every detail was handled with care, fearing any slight mistake.

People she knew and didn’t know frequently came to visit her, reminiscing and adding to her dowry. She never knew she was so popular.

In the palace, the Empress Dowager occasionally summoned her. The first few times, Lu Minghua had just entered Shoukang Palace, and soon after, Yan Yuanhua would arrive.

Later, after Lu Minghua stopped him, things got better.

The Empress Dowager snorted discontentedly, saying, “He is afraid I will eat you.”

Lu Minghua smiled lightly. These days, seeing the Empress Dowager didn’t make her as nervous. She just smiled and said, “No, the Prince just wants to see you.”

The Empress Dowager knew her son well and just snorted again.

Every time Lu Minghua returned from the palace, she brought back a large pile of rewards.

Madam Yuan was not greedy and put everything into her dowry, giving her the list to remember. She didn’t need to memorize everything, but she had to understand what properties she had.

Besides this, the palace also sent nannies to help Lu Minghua take care of her health—bathing, ointments, and medicinal diets. Day by day, Lu Minghua looked in the mirror and saw her skin becoming fair and smooth, with a faint pink glow, looking radiant and healthy. Even without using perfume, she could almost smell the fragrance on her body, as if it had seeped into her bones.

The nannies not only took care of her health but also trained her in etiquette to prepare for the wedding day. A prince’s wedding had strict palace protocols, and nothing could be overlooked.

In this busy period, February arrived without notice.

The Lu family sisters, who had been accompanying their husbands in their posts, all returned to the capital, and the eldest son, Lu Yaoxin, also brought his family back—all to send Lu Minghua off to her marriage.

Additionally, Lu Chengzhang from the third branch did the same. However, they had already separated and moved to another residence. Only the unfamiliar aunt visited a few times, a gentle woman. In contrast, there was no news from the second branch. Since Lu Chengsong was imprisoned, they had been completely quiet.

The once peaceful and harmonious Earl Mansion suddenly became lively, with the children of the three siblings playing and laughing all day long.

Lu Minghua occasionally saw them and couldn’t help but watch. She also thought about having her own child. She thought that if she had a child, she would love them dearly and never let them be like her. She always felt that if she had a child, she would truly have her own family.

“Oh, look at these little girls, they are so lively.” With the wedding approaching, Mama Li seemed to have become ten years younger, smiling all day long. She looked at Lu Minghua and said, “I wonder what our young master and young lady will look like. But with your and the Prince’s looks, they will surely be outstanding.”

“Mama,” Lu Minghua said shyly, feeling a bit embarrassed. We haven’t even married yet. How can you talk about children?”

As they joked, the two left.

The Wen’an Earl Mansion was harmonious, but far away in Xuanzhou, Lu Mingxi looked at the large red marks on her face in the mirror, biting her fingertip so hard that it bled, yet she did not let go.

Her face would never heal, never heal. After half a month, she finally accepted this fact.

The small courtyard was remote and desolate, and she could hear the distant sound of music and dancing, which were the courtesans Ning Yunchan had invited for entertainment. He couldn’t move, but he hadn’t given up his lustful desires, seeking pleasure all day long. Meanwhile, since arriving in Xuanzhou, she had been abandoned in this empty courtyard, with no one to care for her.

She looked at her hands, once delicate and slender but now rough and hard. It had only been a few months; what about the decades to come?

The thought of what she would become made Lu Mingxi shiver.

“No, no, it can’t be,” she murmured, finally seizing an opportunity to quietly slip out of the courtyard.

She wanted to escape, to run far away. She didn’t want to stay in that courtyard until she died. However, this estate was the private property of the Duke of Anguo’s mansion. Ning Yunchan had already instructed people to keep an eye on Lu Mingxi when they arrived. He knew that given Prince Rui’s dislike for Lu Mingxi, he would hold him accountable if he found out she had escaped. So, he put a lot of effort into it. Thus, Lu Mingxi was discovered not far from the estate, and Ning Yunchan quickly ordered her to be brought back.

“Still trying to run? It seems you haven’t been beaten enough.” Ning Yunchan glanced at Lu Mingxi’s face, marked with two red patches, and turned his head away in disgust, ordering her to be beaten.

Lu Mingxi was heartbroken by the disgust in Ning Yunchan’s eyes and stared at him madly. She had become like this because of him, all because of him. How dare he look at her like that? How dare he?

Ning Yunchan saw the hatred in her eyes and laughed. Since he had nothing else to do, watching Lu Mingxi go mad amused him. He said, “Do you think you ended up like this because of me?”

“Such a pity for a beauty, that face is truly wasted,” he said with a fake sigh.

Lu Mingxi trembled all over.

“What do you mean?” she couldn’t help but ask urgently.

“Who do you think doesn’t want you to have that face?” Ning Yunchan teased her leisurely, eager to see her go mad, and laughed, saying, “Of course, it’s Prince Rui.”

“He specifically instructed me not to see your face that looks like your sister’s. What a pity.”

“Ah, ah, ah!” Lu Mingxi really went mad.

She couldn’t accept it, couldn’t accept it. Why could Lu Minghua meet Prince Rui? Why, even after being abandoned by Wei Yuntai, could she still live better and better? Why, why!

“You tell me, both of you are sisters, your elder sister returned home after a divorce, but you were dismissed.”

“Why do you have to oppose your sister? If you had a good relationship with her, you would have a bright future waiting for you.”

“Stupid, so stupid.” Ning Yunchan continued to provoke her, laughing more heartily.

The nanny saw him enjoying himself and stopped beating Lu Mingxi, letting her fall to the ground.

Lu Mingxi whimpered in pain and curled up in the corner as she used to.

Seeing her acting foolish again, Ning Yunchan lost interest and ignored her, occasionally glancing at her for amusement.

The room gradually quieted down, and the two nannies left.

In the corner, Lu Mingxi raised her head and stared at Ning Yunchan. With him around, she could never escape. She was unwilling to stay there; she wanted to return to the capital and expose Lu Minghua’s cruel nature.

If it weren’t for her, why would Prince Rui care about who she was? It must have been her slander. It must have been her!

Lu Mingxi quietly got up, stood by the bed, and looked at the drowsy Ning Yunchan, reaching for a soft pillow.

Sensing a shadow, Ning Yunchan instinctively opened his eyes and saw Lu Mingxi’s twisted face looking at him, the pillow in her hand descending.

“You—” He wanted to shout in anger, but before he could speak, the pillow covered his face.

He tried to struggle, but his limbs were broken and hadn’t healed yet. He could only shake his head frantically but couldn’t break free from Lu Mingxi’s full strength.

Gradually, Ning Yunchan stopped moving.

Lu Mingxi gritted her teeth and smiled grimly. When she ran out of strength, she slowly let go.

Hearing the nanny’s voice outside, she snapped back to reality, trembling as she threw away the pillow. She stared at Ning Yunchan’s wide-open, flushed face, swallowed hard, covered his eyes, pushed his face to the side, and finally covered him with the quilt and lowered the bed curtain.

She turned and stumbled out.

The nanny was bumped by her and staggered, cursing angrily. Seeing the bed curtain lowered, she assumed Ning Yunchan had ordered Lu Mingxi to do it and left without thinking much.

Outside, Lu Mingxi walked hurriedly, her mind racing. Seeing a group of brightly dressed women about to board a carriage, she had an idea and hid in a carriage full of miscellaneous items.

After hiding for a long time, she finally found her way onto a boat.

Meanwhile, an hour passed, and seeing that Ning Yunchan hadn’t woken up, the nanny realized something was wrong. Screams erupted, and the estate fell into chaos.

In the capital, Yan Yuanhua quickly received the news.

“She wants to return to the capital? Let her come back then.” He smiled, tearing the note slowly and said, “Let her see it once, then send her back to Xuanzhou. Killing a master as a servant is a serious crime.”

The guards understood his meaning.

February 26th, an auspicious day.

The lanterns on the streets of the capital were all lit. At dawn, the entire capital was already illuminated before the sky brightened.