Chapter 50: The Fierce Grand Viceroy
Chapter 50: The Fierce Grand Viceroy
In the Hall of Sea Buckthorn.
Maid Li stood at the door, anxiously awaiting the arrival of Maid Wan and Meng Qianqian.
Upon returning to the manor, Meng Qianqian had Qing Shuang escort Ban Xia and Tan'er back to the Hall of Sea Buckthorn, while she accompanied Maid Wan to meet the elderly madam.
"Be careful!" Maid Li rushed to support them.
Maid Wan signaled, "The curtain, the curtain!"
"Aye, aye!" Maid Li quickly drew the curtain for the two of them, and Maid Wan carried Meng Qianqian into the room.
Despite her sturdy and robust appearance, Maid Wan handled her young mistress with utmost gentleness and caution.
She carefully placed Meng Qianqian on a chair.
Maid Li's heart ached as she saw the state of her young mistress, "Young mistress, why did you have to rush like this?"
Meng Qianqian, still catching her breath, asked, "I only started feeling weak halfway through the journey. How are Ban Xia and Tan'er doing?"
Maid Li quickly brought over a hot water bottle and a cup of ginger tea freshly brewed in the small kitchen, "Tan'er is sleeping soundly, and I've also asked Ban Xia to get some rest. You don't need to worry about them, but you, young mistress..."
"I'm fine," Meng Qianqian assured her as she sipped the ginger soup, feeling her body warm up.
That Miss Yan was truly remarkable. Despite suffering severe injuries yesterday and having cold energy invade her organs, she was already able to walk around after just one night.
Maid Li handed a bowl of ginger soup to Maid Wan as well, "What did the elderly madam say?"
Maid Wan took the bowl and stood with her hands on her hips, "Tsk, that old thing!"
She proceeded to recount everything that had transpired at the Hall of Fortune and Longevity.
Maid Li nearly fainted from shock, her face paling as she exclaimed, "How could she humiliate the young mistress like that?"
Maid Wan took a large gulp of the ginger soup, her voice coarse as she said, "Indeed! That shameless old bat! If you ask me, the Lu family marrying the eldest young master is like their ancestors' graves smoking with blue smoke! They want to drive the eldest young mistress out? They must be out of their minds, wishing their ancestors' graves to be flattened!"
Maid Li chastised in a low voice, "In front of the young mistress, refrain from using vulgar language!"
Maid Wan hurriedly responded, "Oh dear, look at my mouth running wild!"
Although Maid Li reprimanded her, she secretly enjoyed hearing the insults directed at the elderly madam, as she had long wanted to curse her out as well.
"Go on," Meng Qianqian urged.
"Aye!"
Maid Wan, seeing that Meng Qianqian wasn't stopping her, continued to recount the conversation she had with Lu Lingxiao.
When she heard her young mistress propose a divorce, Maid Li's emotions surprisingly calmed down.
If she had initially harbored hopes of having the young mistress take the young master back, those hopes had long since faded after countless disappointments, and she no longer held any expectations.
"However, did the Meng family really lose half of their wealth?" Maid Li asked.
Meng Qianqian shook her head with a smile, "Not at all. I intentionally let the Lu family hear that to devalue myself. Only then would the elderly madam be more determined to get rid of me."
Maid Wan's face was filled with terror.
Uh-oh... Was she supposed to hear such secrets?
Should she leave now?
But she really wanted to listen. What should she do? No, she had to maintain her composure as a servant. She mustn't listen to things she wasn't supposed to hear—
"Maid Wan, hand me a pair of scissors."
"What does the eldest young mistress need scissors for? I'll do it!" Maid Wan offered.
Maid Wan stayed in the room, cutting strips of cloth for Meng Qianqian.
Maid Li set out the breakfast and served Meng Qianqian a bowl of red bean and coix seed porridge, "Young mistress, I agree with the divorce, but isn't this method a bit too risky?"
She was referring to the matter concerning the Changchun Palace.
Meng Qianqian was like a daughter to her, and although her temperament had changed somewhat after the drowning incident, she had become more calm and wise.
If the young mistress wanted to reject Noble Consort Li, there were plenty of ways to do so without offending her. It was clear that the young mistress was doing this intentionally.
"Using Noble Consort Li to threaten the elderly madam is one strategy, but what if Noble Consort Li, in her anger, orders the young mistress's death—?"
Just the thought of this possibility filled Maid Li with fear.
Meng Qianqian scooped a spoonful of red bean and coix seed porridge and said, "Noble Consort Li and Lu Yuan, one plays the villain, the other the hero. Lu Yuan is a despicable traitor, while Noble Consort Li aspires to be the Empress and mother of the nation. She dares to humiliate me, but not to kill me."
If she wanted to kill her, she would have to do it through Lu Yuan's hands.
Qianqian was betting that Lu Yuan wouldn't kill her, at least not yet.
Her original plan was to endure and bide her time, waiting until she had sufficient means to protect herself in the capital before finding a way to leave the Lu family.
However, Noble Consort Li's sudden difficulty presented her with an excellent opportunity to break free from the Lu family.
Her father often said that one must learn to scheme but also seize the moment.
By the time everything is prepared, the opportunity may have passed.
For while you prepare, your enemies are also growing stronger.
"But it's Ban Xia and Tan'er who suffer alongside me."
Maid Li said, "Ban Xia is quick-witted. Knowing she'd have to kneel in the palace, she wore several layers of knee pads!"
Meng Qianqian smiled, "She made me wear them too."
Maid Li also smiled.
In her heart, she knew that even with knee pads, kneeling for over two hours in the icy cold was no easy feat, especially for a young miss with a weak body.
"As for Tan'er, no one expected her to go to the palace to find you... That girl is fearless, even daring to hit Noble Consort Li's people... I'll go call her to eat something. She's slept for a day and a night, don't want her starving..."
Maid Li muttered as she left the room.
Meng Qianqian smiled and withdrew her gaze, then looked up and met eyes with Maid Wan.
Maid Wan quickly looked around in a fluster!
Meng Qianqian smiled and asked, "Maid Wan, when I leave the Lu family one day, will you follow me, or..."
Maid Wan immediately stood up, patted her chest, and said, "Wherever Young Mistress goes, I will go! I may not have much, but I have plenty of strength! Rest assured, Young Mistress, I am absolutely loyal to you! I will be your beast of burden, go through fire and water, and die ten thousand times for you!"
To show her loyalty, she even changed her form of address.
Meng Qianqian laughed so hard her stomach hurt, "It's 'be your ox and horse, go through fire and water, and die a thousand deaths'."
Maid Wan suddenly realized, "Oh... I didn't remember it correctly."
At the Viceroy's Residence
Lu Yuan had been recuperating from his injuries at home during this period and had not left the mansion.
The assassin captured at the temple last time couldn't withstand the torture and confessed that someone had leaked Lu Yuan's whereabouts, indicating there was a traitor among his people.
This traitor could be anyone in the mansion.
As for the mastermind, those assassins didn't know. They were from a clandestine martial world assassination organization that took money for tasks and didn't ask about their client's background.
The commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard entered with a cold expression, clasped his fists, and said, "Lord, we've found out. It was a groom named Zhao Si. Someone gave him 5,000 taels of silver to buy your whereabouts, but he didn't know who the person was as they were always masked."
Lu Yuan casually made a gesture.
The commander understood and turned to leave. He instructed the guards outside, "Gather everyone by the back lake to witness the punishment by cannon fire! If anyone dares to close their eyes, gouge them out! If they cover their ears, cut them off!"
Fortunately, today, Lady Baoshi wasn't around.
As soon as he left, Yu Zichuan and Qing Shuang returned.
"Urgent news from the border."
"Lu Shaoye's wife has fallen out with the Lu family."
The two spoke simultaneously.
Viceroy, which matter would you like to hear first?
(End of Chapter)
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