https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-53-The-Divorce-Papers-are-Drawn-Up/12582451/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-55-Baoshu-Wants-Her-Family-of-Three/12582453/
Chapter 54: The Grand Viceroy Arrives
Chapter 54: The Grand Viceroy Arrives
Meng Qianqian had caught a chill at the palace, and now her taste buds were off, and her sense of smell was non-existent. All she craved were sweet and spicy fried fruits.
"Lee-mama said you're not allowed to have those!"
Wan-mama promptly took away the fried fruits.
Meng Qianqian sighed.
Lee-mama, who had been busy all morning, came in, sweating. "Oh, that girl sleeps like a log. I called her for so long, but she wouldn't wake up."
Meng Qianqian smiled. "Let Tan Er sleep a little longer."
Lee-mama asked worriedly, "Sleeping for so long... is everything alright?"
Meng Qianqian reassured her, "Don't worry, Mama. Tan Er is doing just fine."
This was the truth. Yan Niangzi had examined Tan Er, and she had also taken her pulse. In Yan Niangzi's words, Tan Er was as robust as a little calf and didn't need any medicine; she would heal on her own.
Lee-mama still couldn't quite understand her young mistress's increasing abilities, but when it came to her young mistress's words, she believed them without a doubt.
Remembering something, she added, "I'll go check on Ban Xia."
Lee-mama was a worrisome soul, constantly fretting over one person or another. Her entire morning was spent shuffling between the three patients.
After lunch, the snow started falling even harder.
The Grand Madam loved playing in the snow, and with such a heavy snowfall, Meng Qianqian was certain she would want to go out. So, she asked Wan-mama to go to the Grand Madam's quarters and check on her.
Wan-mama went but couldn't find her, and fearing that she wouldn't be able to explain herself, she brought back the Grand Madam's attendant, Wang-mama.
"First Madam!"
Wang-mama greeted Meng Qianqian with a bow.
Meng Qianqian nodded. "Wang-mama, where has the Grand Madam gone?"
Wang-mama replied, "The Grand Madam has gone out."
Meng Qianqian was taken aback. "Out? Where to?"
"To the temple to offer incense. This old servant thought the Grand Madam would bring the First Madam along," Wang-mama explained.
Meng Qianqian pondered for a moment before asking, "Who did the Grand Madam take with her?"
"Magpie and Zhao Si," Wang-mama answered.
Magpie was the Grand Madam's personal maid, known for her wit and intelligence, while Zhao Si was the estate's guard. The Grand Madam always called for Zhao Si to drive her carriage whenever she went up the mountain.
It seemed they had indeed gone to the temple.
The Grand Madam rarely went out, but whenever she went to the temple to offer incense, she was eager to go.
However, today wasn't a special occasion. Why had the Grand Madam suddenly felt the urge to offer incense? And why had she gone alone?
Wang-mama's heart skipped a beat as she stammered, "First Madam, this servant..."
"Wang-mama, go back to the courtyard first. I'll send someone to fetch the Grand Madam," Meng Qianqian instructed.
Upon returning to the Hall of Crabapples, Meng Qianqian asked Wan-mama to call Wu Ge'er from the outer court. She gave him a bag of silver taels and said, "Pick a few skilled guards to escort the Grand Madam back from Hanshan Temple. If the snow is too heavy, don't rush down the mountain."
Wu Ge'er weighed the bag of money in his hand and said, "First Madam, you've given too much."
Meng Qianqian also handed him a bundle containing two sets of clothes and thick quilts. "Find the most skilled guards and the fastest horses."
Understanding her intentions, Wu Ge'er replied, "Yes!"
Up in the mountains...
In the Zen room, where a brazier of red charcoal burned, the Grand Emperor had just finished writing an imperial edict. Kneeling beside him was another middle-aged monk, his confidante, Eunuch Fu. Since the Grand Emperor had been confined here by Lu Yuan, Eunuch Fu had also become a monk.
He carefully ground the ink.
The Grand Madam was like a foreman, scrutinizing every stroke the Grand Emperor wrote.
"Add more! More!" she urged.
The Grand Emperor sighed. "There's no more room. Just how much does the Grand Madam want to give that girl?"
Eunuch Fu smiled awkwardly. "Yes, you are Lu's Grand Madam, not Meng's."
The Grand Madam's eyes twinkled as she leaned closer to the Grand Emperor and asked, "Can I be a Meng?"
Grand Emperor: "..."
Eunuch Fu: "..."
The snow, as fluffy as goose feathers, fell relentlessly throughout the day.
Whenever she had a moment, Wan-mama would go to the door to check, but instead of the Grand Madam, she spotted Lu Xingzhou, who had been away for several days.
Lu Xingzhou worked at the Ministry of Works and was often away on business, rarely spending time at home, especially on snowy days like this.
Wan-mama bowed and said, "Master..."
Lu Xingzhou didn't even spare him a glance as he rushed into the mansion.
Wan-mama's face was filled with doubt, and she walked out to ask the carriage driver, "What happened?"
The driver replied, "Liu DaRen's mother has passed away."
Liu DaRen was Lu Xingzhou's colleague. They had both served in the Hanlin Academy and shared a close personal relationship. Later, Lu Xingzhou was transferred to the Ministry of Works, while Liu DaRen was reassigned to the Ministry of War as the Head of the Treasury.
Despite his official rank being only a fourth-grade official, it was a lucrative position, and Liu DaRen's father-in-law was the Duke of Yong'en, while his mother-in-law was the Lady of Changning County—making them influential figures in the capital.
When Liu's elderly mother was still healthy, she often visited Old Madam Lu, and even after the Old Madam's dementia, she remained one of the few outsiders that the Old Madam could still recognize.
Wan-mama brought this news back to the Hall of Crabapples.
Lee-mama sighed and said, "I remember Liu DaRen is Liu's elderly mother's youngest son. She's about the same age as Old Madam, and at this age... it's also considered a joyous occasion."
Meng Qianqian changed into plain white clothes and said, "I'll go and pay my respects on Great-Grandmother's behalf."
Lee-mama was still somewhat worried about Meng Qianqian's health, but then she thought about how Liu's family lived on the same street, and if the Old Madam were at home, she would definitely want to see Liu's elderly mother on her final journey.
Lee-mama nodded and said, "This servant will accompany you, Miss."
Meng Qianqian and Lu's mother were the first to arrive at the entrance.
The two of them rode in the same carriage.
Soon, the Second Wife arrived with Lu Linglong.
The relationship between the two families was quite delicate at the moment.
The Second Wife looked at Lu's mother and Meng Qianqian with a fake smile and said, "Oh, big sister-in-law, your precious daughter-in-law is about to get a divorce from your son, yet you're still so kind as to let her ride in your carriage?"
Lu's mother said sternly, "Dinner won't fill your mouth, so get down!"
This elder sister-in-law was usually mild-mannered and hardworking, so it was rare to see her so assertive.
The Second Wife pouted, "Why are you getting angry at me? It's not like I'm the one who caused the divorce."
Lu's mother replied coldly, "You may not have been the one to cause Qianqian's divorce, but you're the one who instigated Xiao'ge to divorce his wife. Didn't your second brother warn you not to scheme against Xiao'ge?"
The Second Wife didn't take her husband's words to heart, so naturally, she wouldn't listen to Lu's mother either.
She humphed in response.
Lu's mother ignored her after that.
From the moment Lu Linglong got into the carriage, her eyes remained fixed on Meng Qianqian.
She was jealous of Meng Qianqian's beauty and hated that her face was a hundred times more attractive than her own!
The elderly madam rode in a separate carriage.
Lu Xingzhou, Lu Lingxiao, and the second master of the Lu family shared a carriage.
That evening, many guests came to pay their respects. Some were relatives and neighbors, along with Liu DaRen's colleagues, while the rest were friends and family of the Duke of Yong'en and the Lady of Changning County.
Due to the sudden nature of the event, the Liu family was short-staffed, and they had only just finished setting up the funeral hall.
Liu DaRen knelt inside the hall, his eyes red and swollen from crying.
After the Lu family finished paying their respects to Liu's elderly mother, he bowed his head in gratitude.
Lu Xingzhou sat down opposite him and patted his shoulder, saying, "My condolences."
He then instructed Lu Lingxiao and the second master, "Take some servants from the mansion to help set up the funeral tent."
As the head of the Ministry of Works, construction was his forte, and the servants from the mansion were also skilled in this area.
He then said to Lu's mother, "Take Qianqian to the inner quarters to see Liu's wife and ask if there's anything we can do to help."
Lu Linglong said, "I want to go too, Great Uncle!"
"You'll just cause trouble!"
Lu Xingzhou knew very well that among the many women in the Lu family, only Lu's mother and Meng Qianqian could be relied on to handle matters properly.
"I'll go later. You go to the upper room and rest for a while," Lu's mother said to Meng Qianqian.
Meng Qianqian replied, "Grandmother and Second Aunt are watching."
The elderly madam and the second wife were just waiting for her to make a mistake, and she couldn't give them any opportunity to seize on.
Lu's mother said with concern, "You've been busy all evening, and I'm afraid you're exhausted."
As they were talking, a loud and clear announcement came from a distance:
"The Grand Viceroy has arrived—"
(End of Chapter)
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