Chapter 226 – Still a Concubine (1)
Silence descended in the room, the two women, one old and one middle-aged, were visibly stunned. Their jaws dropped. It took many breaths for the words to sink in, but all along their face reflected their thoughts in succession: shock, disbelief, denial, and eventually fear.
She… broke into the Palace of Heavenly Purity? In the middle of the night… ?
Eldest Madam Lu’s lips were quivering uncontrollably. She was clenching her fist, breathing heavily. Although she did not quite understand the rules and matters of the court, she knew that the Palace of Heavenly Purity was the place where the emperor resided.
Why did Wang Fei break into the emperor’s residence?
Perhaps she was too overwhelmed by the news, or maybe she just refused to accept facts, whatever the case, her next words were simply foolish.
“Nonsense! Wang Fei is the emperor’s wife. Breaking into the Palace of Heavenly Purity must not be the reason for it.” Eldest Madam Lu cried.
Such ignorance and stupidity! Ye Zhen mocked in her heart, her face concealing her thoughts.
“Aunt, it is merely what I heard from others. Whether it is the reason or not, I cannot be sure.”
Eldest Madam Lu sneered. “I’m afraid you are well aware of the reason. Is it really such a coincidence that the wang fei was confined and you happened to be in the palace? Yaoyao, just so you’re aware, although you are Wang Fei’s sister, you still need to know your place. Even true sisters do not act this way… ”
Before the daughter-in-law could even finish her heedless words, Old Madam Lu’s fierce and cold eyes stopped her in mid-sentence.
“Was it Yaoyao who made the wang fei go to the Palace of Heavenly Purity? Even so, do you know what the emperor’s consort of thehighest position is called? Empress! Even if the empress wanted to see the emperor, there would still be no enough reason for her to break into the Palace of Heavenly Purity without his permission!”
Old Madam Lu took a pause and breathed laboriously before continuing.
“Or did you think the wang fei was an exception?” She shook her head at the foolish women before her. “This time, we are lucky that the emperor has only forbidden Shuang’er from entering his palace. What about the next time?”
Madam Lu turned pale. The weight of Old Madam Lu’s words dawned upon her. Death was a possible punishment if this incident were to repeat. None had ever lived to tell the tale of their defiance after all- consort or commoner.
“Mother, how could you say that?! How do you… how do you know that Wang Fei won’t be the empress in the future?”
She was incensed by the old woman’s words. The whole world knew how the emperor treated the wang fei as the pearl on his palm. It was only a matter of course before she was declared the empress. Her son was on an expedition for the emperor, her daughter the sole occupant of his heart- he would surely acknowledge them!
“Ah, it is difficult to have a mother like you.” Old Madam Lu sneered, thinking that despite Lu Wushuang’s situation, her mother still thought of this ridiculous and greedy notion. “Liu Shi, don’t think that just because you are the mother of the wang fei, I dare not take any action against you. If you humiliate the rest of the family again, I won’t let you get away with it.” She warned.
The matriarch knew well what this woman was capable of. Stoking the fire of hatred within, she had always been blinded by her false notions bringing nothing but distress and disharmony in the family. If left unchecked, in no time she would run amuck and shove the entire clan into the abyss of disgrace.
“Mother, we cannot just listen to Yaoyao’s side of the story.” Madam Lu cried as she tried to justify herself.
Old Madam Lu turned to Ye Zhen and said, “Go and find your mother first. She has missed you for several days now.”
Ye Zhen knew her grandmother was giving her a decent way out. She was more than happy to grab it and wrest herself free from Madam Lu’s clutches.
And so, she responded with a sweet smile. “Grandmother, I’ll go. Today I have to go back to the academy. When I return, I will chat with you.”
“Well, go quickly.” Old Madam Lu nodded with a smile and urged her granddaughter to leave.
Under her grandmother’s affectionate gaze, Lu Yaoyao skipped her way out of the hall.
Looking at the way the old madam doted on Lu Yaoyao, Madam Lu felt uncomfortable in her heart. This elder had never gone to such an extent for Lu Wushuang. She did treat her daughter well but never once had she seen that twinkle in her eye she had reserved for this third granddaughter of hers.
She believed Yaoyao was incomparable to Lu Wushuang. This wild girl could never match up to the wange fei’s poise and beauty.
And yet, the feral girl had the old madam’s heart in her grasp. She was vexed by their behaviour and the feeling of being wronged, deepened.
Now, only Madam Lu and her mother-in-law were left in the room. Madam Lu looked at the old madam, sitting on the kang bed, with fear.
Her two children were already rich enough and exemplary in status, logically, she should be the most honorable person in the Lu Family. Even so, she was afraid of the old madam. In front of her mother-in-law, her confidence was nowhere to be found.
All this was because her son, a high official, extended his respect to his grandmother. Thus, she felt the need to respect the old madam.
The room descended into silence, and the old madam looked towards the other with an impassive gaze. Gone was the smile from just now, all that remained was her businesslike manner.
“Do you know what Wang Fei needs the most when she is in the palace?” Old Madam Lu looked at Liu Shi and asked.
“Naturally, she needs the support of her family.” Madam Lu replied.
“Just what do you mean by ‘support’?” Old Madam Lu asked. “No matter how noble and respected the wang fei is, she is still a concubine. What did you mean by ‘wife’? Then using this inference, will you not mind if Yi Niang*1 Cheng tells the public that she is Shifeng’s wife?”
Madam Lu’s expression changed. If Aunt Cheng dared to say that she was the wife, she would definitely tear her into pieces!