Chapter 11: Stirred Up

Princess Changting takes excellent care of herself, fair-skinned and in good shape, with a kind gaze. However, the moment she sets eyes on Lu Man, flames seem to ignite within her. Staring at Lu Man for a moment, she picks up a cup of tea from the table and splashes it towards her. Though the tea is only slightly warm and cannot cause harm, it reddens Lu Man’s forehead and cheeks. Tea leaves and water stains cling to her head and face, with droplets running down her chin, leaving her in a sorry state.

Princess Changting scolds sharply, “You ungrateful thing! A mere daughter of a minor official, a descendant of a criminal, how are you wronged by marrying my grandson? Yet you dare contemplate suicide! You’ve made Zhanwei unwilling to return home, causing me to lose face. You know the weight of your sins, so why seek my forgiveness… Oh, my poor Zhanwei, married to such a shameless person, only to be scorned…”

Enraged, Princess Changting is coaxed by the First Madam and the third madam, while the second madam remains silent, lips tightly pressed, not daring to speak further.

Feeling wronged, Jiang Zhanwei refuses to return home out of spite, while Lord Shu rushes to the Golden Hall to lodge a complaint, accusing Princess Changting of breaking her word, persecuting her illegitimate grandson, sparking discussions across the court and the public. Although Princess Changting does not explicitly express it, she holds a grudge against Lu Man, blaming her for the awkward situation as she was reluctant to let Jiang Zhanyu marry her.

The second madam feels deeply aggrieved, with her youngest son also not yet betrothed at fifteen. Why then should her only son be married to a girl from the Lu family? Ultimately, it boils down to the mother-in-law favoring the third family branch.

Glancing at Lu Man, the third madam remarks, “Oh, I never expected the Lu family to have such beauty, with eloquent speech. Looking at her, not only is she not foolish but also quite insightful. How could she commit such a foolish act? Our third son is handsome and refined, from a noble background. You are a suitable match for him, yet you dare to show disdain.”

Lu Man quickly responds, “Madam, you’re too kind. The Third Young Master is noble and outstanding. Marrying him would be me reaching beyond my station. How could I show disdain?”

The first madam clicks her tongue twice, “Truly a clever girl, admitting mistakes promptly and speaking so well. The question is, is it true remorse or fear of death that brings you here to apologize again?”

Lu Man hurriedly adds, “I truly understand my mistakes now, deep in my heart.”

Acknowledging that the old Marquis is still unconscious in bed, the third madam suggests they give Lu Man a chance. She advises, “Since Lu Man admits her fault, let’s tentatively believe her. Mother-in-law, keep a record of this debt. If Lu Man can help father-in-law recover, we can consider it settled. If not, we will take further action…”

Before she could finish, a maid rushes in excitedly and reports to Princess Changting, “Your Highness, the old Marquis just moved his eyebrows.”

Everyone is taken aback, and Princess Changting stands up excitedly, asking, “Is it true?”

The maid smiles and confirms, “It is true. Not only did I see it, but the imperial physicians also witnessed it.”

Princess Changting hurried outside, followed by the three madam. Young Madam Han led the two kids little Deyu and little He closely behind.

At the doorway, Princess Changting paused, turned back, and said, “Lu, are you waiting for me to invite you to serve the old Marquis? Why haven’t you gone to attend to him?”

Though her tone still carried authority, it was not as harsh as before. In her eyes, Lu Man, who had just arrived, seemed to bring luck, as her husband had reacted to her presence.

Lu Man, unaware that she was being addressed as “Lu” knelt there, bewildered. A servant quickly helped her up, whispering, “Third Young Madam, Princess Changting is calling for you.”

Realizing she was now referred to as “Lu” Lu Man took a moment to process and then followed behind Young Madam Han. They passed through the hall, crossed the western chamber, and reached the bedroom.

Passing through layers of curtains, they arrived at a sandalwood bed adorned with intricate carvings, with attendants and two imperial physicians standing by, and an elderly man lying on the bed.

The man, in his fifties, had sunken cheeks, a pale complexion, and tightly closed eyes.

Princess Changting bent down, holding the old Marquis’s hand, tears streaming down her face, “Marquis, Marquis…”

The Marquis remained still, as if in deep slumber.

Princess Changting turned to Lu Man, standing at the back, and scolded, “You clumsy girl, can’t you move closer?”

Young Madam Han gently nudged Lu Man forward.

Lu Man quickly approached, stood beside Princess Changting, and respectfully said, “Grandfather, your granddaughter-in-law, Lu, pays her respects to you.” Since it was not appropriate to kowtow, she simply kneeled and bowed slightly.

Princess Changting turned to the old Marquis with a smile, “Marquis, this is Lu, the one specially chosen to bring you fortune.”

A miracle occurred as the fingers of the old Marquis’s hand, held by Princess Changting, twitched slightly.

Although the movement was slight, Princess Changting felt it. She looked at the pale, slender fingers in her hand with surprise, “He moved, he moved, the Marquis’s finger twitched.”

Everyone gazed at the large hand in Princess Changting’s grasp, with thick knuckles and slender fingers. Lu Man understood that the thinness of the fingers was not just due to the Marquis’s leanness but also muscle atrophy.

The index finger twitched slightly again.

Excitedly, everyone exclaimed, “He moved again!”

Even Deyu chimed in, “I saw it too, Great Grandfather’s finger moved!”

Princess Changting then pulled Lu Man forward. Though they did not witness the old Marquis move again, the atmosphere was filled with joy and excitement.

With the help of two attendants, the imperial physicians fed the Marquis a bowl of medicinal soup. Despite him spitting most of it out and swallowing only a little, he managed to ingest some.

Lu Man breathed a sigh of relief, it was better than she had imagined, at least he could take some food orally. In this era without plastic tubes or needles, there was no option for nasal feeding. Moreover, he could occasionally move, and with proper treatment, there was a chance he could wake up, increasing her chances of survival.

Observing the old Marquis’s slender fingers and the already withered arms, Lu Man dared to speak up, “Princess Changting, may I offer a suggestion?”

Princess Changting replied, “Go ahead.”

Lu Man continued, “The old Marquis has been lying still for a long time, causing muscle to weaken and stiffened. Even if he wakes up in the future, he may be unable to move.”

The senior imperial physician, nodding in agreement, added, “Indeed, the old Marquis’s limbs have become much thinner. We massage him daily, but it has limited effect.”

Concerned, Princess Changting asked, “What should we do then?”

Lu Man suggested, “I know a special massage technique for patients with dissociative disorders. If we give the old Marquis full-body massages daily, it can improve his muscle tone, prevent muscle necrosis, and potentially help awaken his consciousness…” Seeing their skeptical expressions, she added, “I read about it in a medical book passed down from my maternal ancestors.”