flamboyant - Chapitre 51
Being scrutinized by more than twenty eyes from a dozen people sitting or standing in the hall, Song Xiaohua was already on edge. However, on the surface, she still maintained her virtuous, gentle, courteous, and modest demeanor. But the perfect curve of her lips that she had practiced in front of the mirror was already showing signs of stiffness and even paralysis in her facial muscles.
Damn it, what are you looking at? If no one says anything, I'm going to get facial paralysis!
Lu Ziqi, who was holding her hand, felt a sharp pain in his palm and sighed helplessly, "Father..."
He finally managed to pull Lu Tuo's staring eyes away from Song Wuque, and cleared his throat: "You must be tired from the journey."
Only after he spoke could the others continue.
Immediately, a cheerful woman exclaimed, "Our new second mistress is truly beautiful!"
She was around fifty years old, very well-maintained, with a slightly plump figure, a full moon-shaped face, and a rosy complexion. This must be the former fourth concubine, Madam Liu, who once managed the inner quarters.
Based on the description in Lu Ziqi's letter, Song Xiaohua gave a graceful curtsy: "Fourth Aunt is too kind to me. Sister Wanxin is the one who truly deserves that title."
Liu laughed even more heartily. The fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl in a pale yellow dress, with bright eyes and white teeth, standing behind her, immediately said shyly and reproachfully, "Mother, look, you tease Second Sister-in-law, and Second Sister-in-law teases me. So who should I tease?"
At this moment, another woman gently chimed in, "Oh dear, this is difficult. You're the youngest in our generation, you can't very well go and ask your nephews and nieces, can you?"
She was around thirty years old, with willow-leaf eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, and an oval face. Before she spoke, a smile played on her lips; seemingly gentle as water, yet possessing an unyielding strength. Her attire was exceptionally luxurious. This woman must be Lu Ziqi's sister-in-law, Madam Yuan. Her family had been gaining considerable influence in the court in recent years, and two years ago they had taken over the Lu family mansion from Madam Liu.
Song Xiaohua smiled and said softly, "Last time I wanted to ask my uncle to bring some trinkets for my sister-in-law, but in the rush I couldn't find anything suitable for her, so I had to give up for the time being. I hope my sister-in-law won't blame me for being so inconsiderate."
Upon hearing this, Madam Yuan covered her mouth and chuckled, looking around as she said, "See? My sister-in-law is quite the shrewd one. She acted as if she had known me for a long time, even though it was our first meeting."
The others in the hall also joined in the conversation, and with Lu Ziqi's previous guidance, Song Xiaohua answered them all properly without making any mistakes.
They chatted and laughed for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before finally coming to an end. The awkwardness and unfamiliarity between them lessened, and they finally felt a little closer to each other.
Next, it was Song Xiaohua's first time meeting the elders of the family as a new bride, kneeling and offering tea to each of them. A head maid followed by her served her, and after going around in circles, she was truly feeling a bit dizzy.
Then came Lu Ling, who had been away from home for a long time. However, he received better treatment; before any formalities were even exchanged, he was always pulled into a tight embrace and showered with kisses and affection…
At that moment, Lu Ziqi had someone bring over the silk package that Song Xiaohua had brought, which contained gifts for everyone in the family.
Besides the valuables Lu Ziqi had prepared beforehand, there were also small trinkets that Song Xiaohua had gathered along the way, based on his descriptions of everyone and their individual preferences. Although they weren't worth much money, they were things that the ladies and young women of the capital, who rarely left their homes, had never seen before. Sure enough, everyone was happy.
As for the offering to Lu Tuo, the "boss" here, Song Xiaohua really put a lot of thought into it. What hasn't this guy seen and played with? How could he be easily won over with just a few clever tricks?
Whenever Song Xiaohua went to a place where the old man had once roamed in his youth, she would exhaust all her energy, jumping up and down and digging to find the most valuable things.
For example, a jar of aged wine brewed to celebrate a victory; a rusty dagger given to the old general by a veteran soldier; or a slightly yellowed, old embroidered portrait of a lady, now a rare find because of the embroiderer's early death, who once had a fleeting romance with a handsome young man...
In short, Song Xiaohua went to great lengths, resorting to coercion and bribery, to find these things, while Lu Ziqi showed no mercy or hesitation in betraying his own father to provide clues...
The result of this collusion was that they successfully captured Old Master Lu!
Lu Tuo, well past sixty, had gray hair, a gray beard, and gray eyebrows. The fierceness he once displayed on the battlefield had long been transformed into an unfathomable "muddy" by the treacherous world of officialdom. Coupled with his retirement life of walking birds and drinking tea for the past two years, he exuded an even more serene and peaceful aura. If it weren't for his still upright posture, deep voice, and long, steady breath even at his age, everyone would probably mistake him for just an ordinary old man from an ordinary family.
Seeing his beaming smile, as he was amused by the gift after gift, Song Xiaohua silently gave herself a 'V' sign in her mind.
These days, everything is fake; the real thing is taking down the final boss and his mother...
Author's Note: I, the demon, have an incredibly strong obsession with the title of "Third-Rank Scholar"~
"Seven members of one family passed the imperial examination, and three of them, father and son, achieved the third-highest rank in the imperial examination."
My little Li Tanhua...
Chapter Fifty-Four: Not Humble, But Arrogant
Although Lu Tuo had ten children, most of them were no longer by his side. In the past two or three years, four of his sons had gone out to take up official positions, and three of his daughters had married far away. In other words, apart from Lu Wanxin, the daughter of his fourth concubine who was still unmarried, he only had two legitimate sons in the capital, Lu Ziheng and Lu Ziqi.
This was Lu Tuo's way of managing his household. First, he ensured the unshakeable position of his principal wife's sons. At the same time, he treated his illegitimate sons impartially, and although they were sent to distant places, each of them had a promising future. Since the concubines had long since given up any thoughts of vying for favor and position, and had no desire to fight over their children, they naturally lived peacefully and contentedly.
Moreover, having two outstanding sons in the court, each controlling the major aspects of people's livelihood and military and political affairs respectively, is already sufficient; otherwise, they would easily arouse the suspicion of those in power. Meanwhile, the descendants who have established territories outside the capital can coordinate with those in the capital, forming a powerful network that no one dares to easily touch.
This is why Lu Tuo chose to retire gracefully and went to great lengths to bring his second son back. The Lu family's ability to remain standing in this unpredictable situation relied on having someone in each generation holding a central position of power to preserve their fortune. If he didn't retire, the rising power of his descendants would inevitably be suppressed. The emperor, who was about to assume full power, had always admired Lu Ziqi and felt guilty after that incident. If he seized this opportunity, a rise to the top would be imminent.
As for Lu Tuo, it's time for him to hand over the reins to the younger generation and enjoy playing chess, entertaining his grandchildren, and having a good time with his family.
In any case, even though he is no longer in power, the foundation he has built over decades still exists.
Although there are fewer people in the Lu family mansion now, a single dinner still fills five large tables. In short, every branch of the family has their own aunts, uncles, mothers-in-law, daughters-in-law, sisters-in-law, maids, concubines, and maids—not one can be missing. There's also a group of immature, chattering children, and the clanging of the opera troupe. It was so loud that Song Xiaohua was seeing stars and her ears were ringing.
This is when you realize how good family planning was!
Because Song Xiaohua and Lu Ling were the main characters at this family dinner, they sat at the main table with Lu Ziqi. Besides Lu Tuo and his four concubines, Lu Ziheng was also at the table.
He was five years older than Lu Ziqi, equally tall and slender, with six or seven parts similarity in his eyebrows and eyes. He wore a crimson long robe, had a short beard, and was taciturn and rarely smiled.
Song Xiaohua only received a polite, slight smile from him when they first met, and he addressed her as "sister-in-law." From then until the end of the event, she never received a proper look from him again. Her fragile heart was initially a little hurt, but seeing him treat everyone, including Old Master Lu, with the same polite yet aloof demeanor, she felt a sense of satisfaction…
The meal lasted until the moon was high in the sky before it finally ended. During the meal, Song Xiaohua handled the barrage of questions from dozens of people with remarkable composure and grace. Thanks to Lu Ziqi's guidance, she managed to avoid any embarrassing situations and get through the meal smoothly.
In short, Song Xiaohua ate a classy and sophisticated meal, dispelling the rumors that she was a rustic countrywoman. She disappointed those who were waiting to see her make a fool of herself, silenced those who wanted to mock her, and made everyone re-evaluate this second grandmother who had no family background and was just the daughter of a wealthy farmer in a remote area.
As for Old Master Lu's chrysanthemum-like face, it had already blossomed even more brilliantly with Lu Ling's clear and crisp "Grandpa" calls on his lap and the loud kisses on his left and right...
Most importantly, the fact that this meal was so grand and elaborate demonstrates Lu Tuo's undisguised favoritism and high regard for Lu Ziqi, and also places his wife and children in a position that cannot be questioned, at least on the surface.
After the banquet, Lu Ling was taken away by his third aunt, who had raised him for two years, while Song Xiaohua and Lu Ziqi returned to their new home together.
Their new home, for the family of three—no, for the family of four—is named 'Nianyuan,' located in the southeast corner of the entire Lu family mansion. Outside the courtyard is a lush bamboo grove, quiet and secluded, each with its own unique charm. This place was originally Lu Tuo's place for self-cultivation, but upon hearing that Lu Ziqi wanted to choose a site to build a quiet residence, he generously gave it up, renovating and expanding it into a two-courtyard house.
'Nianyuan' has a total of two head maids, two nannies, four junior maids, and eight servants and miscellaneous helpers. All of them were personally selected by Lu Ziqi, who arrived a month earlier, with the main criteria being that they be prudent, honest, and do not gossip.
As for the maids' appearances, they were all young and delicate, with fair skin and tender flesh—how bad could they be? Actually, Song Xiaohua was just saying that casually; she was quite confident in her current looks and figure. Anyway, even if a stunning beauty, surpassing Diao Chan and Xi Shi, came along, she had ways to make Lu Ziqi ignore her.
Song Xiaohua's goal is that in Lu Ziqi's eyes, everyone except her is a man! If all else fails, a eunuch will do...
With the moonlight just right, Lu Ziqi instructed the maidservant who was carrying a lantern to lead the way to return to the garden to make arrangements, while he and Song Xiaohua followed slowly.
A cool breeze swept away the summer heat and the noise.
We've been together for a whole day, but only now am I truly tasting the joy of a long-awaited reunion.
Hands clasped, fingers intertwined, the chirping of insects filled the air, the moonlight shone like water before our eyes, and beside us lay the person we longed for, our beloved.
For a moment, I was speechless, focusing only on stepping on the smooth bluestone slabs, as if gently tapping on my heart.
Song Xiaohua tilted her head and saw Lu Ziqi also tilting his head to scrutinize her closely, his eyes like cold stars, a slight smile on his lips: "What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen a beautiful woman before?"
The fierce remark made the smile widen instantly, and she finally couldn't help but chuckle: "It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature."
He glared at her and feigned malice: "What's wrong, Master Lu? You can't stand the way we ordinary folks behave?"
He quickly shook his head and denied it: "How dare I? Compared to your previous pretentious manner, I prefer your true self."
He gave a sinister snort: "So, you don't like me the way I was before?"
He quickly shook his head again: "No, no, no, I love you no matter what you look like!"
Satisfied, she tiptoed and patted his cheek: "Good boy, you know how to talk."
Feeling rather embarrassed, she looked around and said, "Yaoyao, you..."
"What are you afraid of? It's perfectly natural for me to flirt with my own man. If you're not happy about it, go back and flirt with your own man!"
Lu Ziqi choked, and after a moment of silence, he carefully chose his words and said, "I know you were pretending to hold back a lot just now, but in the future, please don't say anything like that... that's shocking."
Song Xiaohua thought for a moment, then nodded seriously: "Okay, I'll listen to you. I don't have to say it, but I'm going to do it!"
He was horrified: "Here and now?!"
Absolutely: Yes!
He took two steps back: "Isn't that inappropriate?"
Pressing on, he asked, "What's wrong with it?"
"This...this is such an indecent thing, let's talk about it back in the room."
"The room is too small, not enough."
"Then...then...such a big place, what more do you want?"
She gently lifted her chin, her voice sweet and cloying: "Guess what I want?"
His body stiffened instantly, but he held on to the end: "This is absurd, absolutely unacceptable!"
Song Xiaohua finally couldn't help but laugh: "What are you thinking? I meant for you to carry me on your back!"
Lu Ziqi breathed a sigh of relief, then coughed twice, his face flushed: "That won't work either."
"No? Then I'm going to do something beastly to you right now!"
He gently persuaded her: "Yaoyao, what if someone sees us? What would that look like?"