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Chapter 53: The Divorce Papers are Drawn Up
Chapter 53: The Divorce Papers are Drawn Up
Upon returning to the Maple Court, Lin Wan'er retreated into seclusion, refusing even to eat dinner.
Lu Lingxiao was already troubled by the news from the border and Meng Qianqian's sudden request for a divorce. For the first time, he felt reluctant to visit Lin Wan'er.
But when Lu Lingxiao received three urgent messages from Lu Luo, saying that Lin Wan'er was suffering from stomach pains and needed a physician, he finally went to her with a grave expression.
The physician felt Lin Wan'er's pulse and said, "Young mistress, your heart fire is raging, and your fetus has been affected. I will prescribe a formula to stabilize your pregnancy. Boil it over high heat, then simmer for half an hour. Drink one bowl in the morning and another in the evening. I will return in three days to check on your condition again."
"Thank you, Doctor Li," Lu Lingxiao replied.
Lu Lingxiao asked Shen Yan to see the doctor out.
Lin Wan'er leaned weakly against Lu Lingxiao's embrace.
Lu Lingxiao asked, "Why did the fetus suddenly become affected?"
Lin Wan'er remained silent.
Lu Luo explained, "Young mistress has been like this since she left the First Young Mistress' courtyard. I don't know what happened, and the First Young Mistress wouldn't let me follow her inside..."
The general, upon hearing this, was expected to blame Meng Qianqian for deliberately targeting Lin Wan'er, as he had done in the past.
Unexpectedly, Lu Lingxiao merely frowned and asked the woman in his arms, "Why did you go looking for her when you knew it would upset her?"
Lin Wan'er's eyes flickered, and she straightened up from his embrace, signing, "I didn't want the First Young Mistress to be unhappy because of me. If possible, I'm willing to move out of the Lu family residence."
Some words might move a person once or twice, but hearing them repeatedly could lead to numbness.
With all the recent troubles weighing on his mind, Lu Lingxiao, for once, didn't try to comfort her.
Seeing Lu Lingxiao's silence, Lu Luo panicked and quickly added, "The First Young Mistress wouldn't give Young Mistress any water, and she forbade her from sitting on her stool..."
Lu Lingxiao suddenly recalled his first visit to the Hawthorn Court, when she had glared at him for sitting on her couch. He said, "She doesn't like outsiders sitting on her furniture without permission."
Lin Wan'er signaled to Lu Luo, who quietly replied, "I'll go check if the medicine has been prepared."
Lu Lingxiao was lost in thought when a scalding tear landed on the back of his hand.
He quickly looked at Lin Wan'er and saw her biting her lip, her face streaked with tears.
His heart lurched, and he asked helplessly, "Wan'er, why are you crying?"
Lin Wan'er, between sobs, gestured, "Do you regret bringing me back?"
"No, I don't!" Lu Lingxiao exclaimed.
Lin Wan'er cried, "When Father entrusted me to you, he didn't know you already had a wife. Otherwise, he would have rather let me die at the Jade Gate Pass than suffer such humiliation. If you find me a nuisance, I'll return to the border... Don't worry... I won't marry anyone else. I'll spend the rest of my life guarding the tablets of Father and Big Brother..."
Lu Lingxiao's heart was filled with shame and guilt. He pulled her into his embrace and apologized, "I'm sorry, it's my fault..."
On the roof, three figures lay on the snow-covered tiles. One of the tiles had been removed, providing a perfect view of the couple inside the room—Lu Lingxiao and Lin Wan'er on the bed.
Yu Zichuan stared intently.
Qing Shuang wore a serious expression.
The commander of the Imperial Guard had arrived last. He asked in sign language, "What are you two doing?"
The two replied in sign language, "Gossiping. What about you?"
Commander: "I'm here to catch you two. The Grand Commander has ordered us not to interfere in the Lu family's matters, you scoundrels."
Oh no! I accidentally slipped up!
He quickly clamped his mouth shut, but it was too late. Qing Shuang had already seen his lip movements.
Qing Shuang: "You cursed the Grand Commander."
Yu Zichuan: "...I wanted to."
Qing Shuang: "Then let's do it together."
Commander: "..."
Inside the room, Lin Wan'er tilted her head slightly, and Lu Lingxiao, holding her face gently, lowered his head.
The commander's face changed, and he covered their eyes with his hands.
Lu Lingxiao, you scoundrel! What are you doing in broad daylight?
"Scandalous!"
A commanding voice suddenly rang out from below, startling the trio.
The commander of the Imperial Guard leaped down, bowed to the newcomer, and said in a lowered tone, "Greetings, Madam Lu. We... were ordered to catch a thief... just passing through here... we will be on our way—"
Before he could finish, Madam Lu interrupted expressionlessly, "Take me up there. I want to listen too."
The trio fell silent, unsure how to respond.
The snow fell silently, and the temple grounds were quiet, with fewer pilgrims than usual.
A monk sat in a room, with a wooden fish drum by his side that he had just finished striking.
Lu Yuan knelt on a meditation cushion across from the monk, his back to the open door.
The cold wind howled, and the monk's robe was thin.
Lu Yuan, in contrast, wore a luxurious purple cloak, his posture proud and dignified. His long, delicate hands seemed like refined jade as he held an ordinary teapot, making it seem like a celestial artifact.
He poured tea for the monk and said leisurely, "After North Liang's defeat, they signed a surrender agreement with the Great Zhou and agreed to compensate with ten thousand taels of gold within three months. However, just ten days ago, a group of North Liang envoys transporting this gold went missing along with the gold. What are your thoughts on this, Master?"
The monk's eyes were slightly closed, as if he hadn't heard a word.
Lu Yuan smiled and poured himself a cup of tea. "North Liang insists that the Great Zhou is plotting to extort them, while the Great Zhou soldiers suspect North Liang of stealing the gold themselves. Both sides are searching for the culprits. The disappearance occurred thirty miles away in Feng County, which suffered the most brutal massacre by North Liang troops. The locals and the garrison commander there hate North Liang to the core and would gladly slaughter their soldiers."
He placed the teapot back on the brazier's rack. "The border situation, which had finally eased, has once again become tense due to this mysterious case. Those five years of war were fought for nothing."
The monk's hand, which had been idly fingering his prayer beads, paused.
Lu Yuan continued, "However, a daughter of Shen Hou recently arrived in the capital, and there's also someone connected to the Ghostly Thirteen Needles. Although the Chu family has been destroyed, the Black Armored Guards are not entirely wiped out. If they resurface, will you return to the political arena, Your Majesty?"
The monk finally responded, slowly opening his eyes to meet Lu Yuan's gaze, which was filled with a smile that belied a hidden deadly intent. "If I return to the court, will you stand in my way, Lu Yuan?"
Lu Yuan drained his cup and placed it back on the table. He threw back his head and laughed loudly, "Hahaha! Hahahaha!"
He stood up, his arrogant laughter echoing through the heavens and earth. With his hands clasped behind his back, he strode out with an air of superiority.
Once he reached the corridor, his smile faded, and he tilted his head slightly, his eyes coldly glancing back. "Your Majesty, you might as well stay in this temple, keeping company with the lamps and ancient Buddha, and end your days here!"
Down the mountain.
A carriage slowly came to a halt by the roadside.
"Be careful, Madam."
The coachman lifted the curtain and helped the passenger alight.
Madam Lu looked at the snow-covered steps leading up the mountain, her brows furrowed.
The coachman asked, "Madam, with all this snow, how will you get up there?"
Madam Lu slapped the back of his head. "Of course, you'll carry me up! Do you expect me to climb up myself?"
The coachman rubbed his head. "Yes, yes!"
Resigning to his fate, the coachman carried Madam Lu up the mountain.
Without another word, Madam Lu made her way directly to the most secluded courtyard in the temple. With surprising vigor for her age, she climbed the steps, kicking off her shoes with each step and stepping onto the clean floor. She pushed open the door to the meditation room with a loud creak!
She brandished a letter, her voice loud and clear. "Does that blank imperial decree from back then still count? If it does, then write a divorce agreement according to this!"
(End of Chapter)
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