flamboyant - Chapitre 60
This matter is now closed.
This play, whether brilliant or not, has now come to an end. Even if it's only temporary.
Although Yao Yao is intelligent and meticulous in her work, she is still somewhat naive when it comes to scheming against others.
For example, she wouldn't be surprised that Lu Tuo, who never interfered in family affairs, would act so unusually this time.
For example, she wouldn't suspect that Lu Tuo would need to use the Imperial Guards just for a maidservant of the Yuan family.
For example, she wouldn't be curious about how, in such a short time, she managed to help Ziqin's family, who had been controlled by the Yuan family for many years, escape their predicament...
Chapter Sixty-Two: Behind the Domestic Strife
When the Lu family and the Yuan family formed a marriage alliance, the Yuan family was just starting out. With the support and assistance of the Lu family, the Yuan family has gradually grown stronger over the years and slowly developed its own power. In fact, it has begun to overshadow the Lu family.
Lu Tuo remained completely unaware of this, even allowing the Yuan family to take charge. This was partly because the two families were related by marriage, sharing both prosperity and adversity; and partly to balance the power in the court, as it would be unfortunate if the Lu family remained the only dominant force.
Before returning, Lu Ziqi sent people to thoroughly investigate the people around the Yuan family. As a result, he discovered that Ziqin was actually a spy planted by the Yuan family in the Lu family many years ago, responsible for passing on various messages between the Yuan family and the Yuan clan, including some clues that could potentially harm the Lu family.
Lu Tuo was already aware of this, and the reason he didn't touch her was simply because he thought such petty tricks were not worth his attention.
Lu Ziqi, however, felt that this was an opportunity to provide a protective umbrella for his wife and children.
With Lu Tuo's tacit approval and assistance, three months ago, he secretly began arranging for Ziqin's family to escape and travel south from their hometown. Meanwhile, due to tight secrecy, the Yuan family remained completely unaware of this.
This time, Lu Tuo seized the opportunity to lash out and chase Zi Qin out, catching the Yuan family completely off guard. By the time they tried to react, Zi Qin, Wang Lin, and their families had all vanished without a trace.
Lu Tuo was willing to do this largely because it was to compensate Lu Ziqi.
Because of Xue Zitong's affair, the Yuan family stirred up quite a storm. They even had letters forged, accusing Xue Zitong of being unfaithful and having an affair with Lu Ziqi's friend. Although the truth was later revealed, such an insult was devastating for a woman of high moral character.
Yuan did this not only because she was worried that her second sister-in-law, who was pregnant at almost the same time as her, would give birth to a grandson for the Lu family, thus making the already favored second branch suppress the eldest branch and prevent it from ever turning the tide, but also because she wanted to prevent the Xue family and the Lu family from ever reconciling, so that the Yuan family could take advantage of the situation and rise to power.
Ultimately, the goal was achieved. Although Xue Zitong gave birth to a son, she herself passed away. Lu Ziqi became depressed and eventually went to the frontier. The second wife's influence gradually waned.
The Lu family's relationship with the Xue family was completely broken due to Xue Zitong's death. For the time being, the only way to stabilize the situation and prevent any changes was to win over the Yuan family, so they made many concessions to them.
It was precisely because of this that Lu Ziqi had nowhere to vent his resentment, which led him to become disheartened by the family struggles that disregarded kinship and interests, and ultimately left home in anger.
Of course, very few people know these facts.
On the surface, Madam Yuan was always a virtuous and filial daughter-in-law, a gentle and loving mother, and a kind master who treated her servants well.
Lu Ziqi found out because of his wrongly accused friend, Huo Nan. He was the one who single-handedly uncovered the truth behind this frame-up. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about it.
Therefore, the first thing Lu Ziqi had to do upon returning was to prevent the Yuan family, who had already taken over the household, from causing trouble again and harming his wife and children.
Ziqin is a great card.
She not only knew many secrets of the Yuan family, but also many secrets of the Yuan clan, because she had always maintained an ambiguous relationship with the most favored third young master of the Yuan family.
Without a doubt, Ziqin is a smart person who understands the need to acquire more knowledge to protect herself and her family.
This is one of the reasons why Lu Tuo was willing to go to such great lengths for a mere maid.
The Yuan family has been too arrogant lately; it's time to put them in their place...
In addition, Lu Tuo wrote a letter to the generals of the Imperial Guard stationed outside the city, asking them to send out several hundred men to play the game of pretending to be bandits, in order to test how much influence he still had in the army after retiring.
Lu Ziqi saw the flaws in the military system, which later became the catalyst for a clash between two other forces.
Song Xiaohua had no idea about the reasons behind this, and Lu Ziqi did not intend to let her know.
She had done a good job navigating the complex interpersonal relationships within the family. He would face the bloodless battles and the filthy darkness alone.
As a man, there is nothing more incompetent or shameful than failing to protect his wife and children. He has experienced it once, and he will never do it again.
He gently kissed the eyelids that obscured those bright eyes, and a hint of bitterness and weariness crept into the smile on Lu Ziqi's lips.
In such a situation, no one is any more noble or cleaner than anyone else.
Yuan used family members to blackmail and control Ziqin for her own use, but wasn't he doing the same thing?
He gave Ziqin, who valued family ties extremely, a home, but in doing so, he also gave her a cage that firmly confined her.
Wang Lin's kindness and honesty should be able to dispel her defensiveness and coldness. Two people who have gone through thick and thin together should be able to live a peaceful life hand in hand.
If not, so what? Consider it the price she has to pay.
This was the most merciful arrangement that Lu Ziqi could make.
After all, Ziqin was also implicated in the harm done to Tong'er back then. If it weren't for her unwavering loyalty to her family, somewhat similar to Yaoyao's, why would he go to such lengths? There are plenty of ways to get her to talk!
Night fell, the stars and moon were hard to see, and the night breeze was slightly cool.
The sounds of gongs and drums, along with chanting, drifted faintly from a distant stage in the air.
No matter how complex and convoluted the story in a play is, how can it compare to the unpredictable and turbulent nature of real life? Between the audience and the performers, who is the audience for whom?
Looking down at the person curled up in his arms like a kitten, Lu Ziqi's voice carried a unique husky magnetism born from joy: "Yaoyao, do you like watching plays?"
Song Xiaohua lazily stroked his tanned chest with her fingers: "I don't like the plays here, they just goo and slur, I don't even know what they're singing. But..." She wrapped her arms around his waist and nuzzled his shoulder: "I'm getting more and more interested in watching the good shows that are going on in this Lu family mansion. Dongqing, I understand what you mean, I just want to be a bystander, all the actors and actresses on stage, real and fake, have nothing to do with me. The only things that have ever been related to me are you and Ling'er, oh right, and of course, Wuque."
Lu Ziqi smiled slightly and took her soft earlobe into his mouth: "Yaoyao, I will definitely give you a home where there is no wind or rain."
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The next day, after breakfast, Song Xiaohua happily went to 'Shengyuan' to chat with Yuan Shi.
As soon as she entered the garden, she heard her yelling at the servants, complaining that the porridge was too bland and the side dishes were too salty. Song Xiaohua chuckled and quickly walked over: "Sister-in-law, who's upset you so early in the morning?"
When Madam Yuan saw her arrive, she waved for the servants to leave: "None of them are giving me any peace of mind. Unlike my sister-in-law, whose servants are all so clever and sensible. Come, today you must teach me how to manage these servants."
Song Xiaohua sat down on the soft stool next to her with a smile: "Sister-in-law, it's inevitable that we'll feel a little unaccustomed to Ziqin's sudden departure. Besides, you can't hold others to her standards. She was someone you personally taught with so much effort. What kind of person was she?"
Upon hearing the mention of Ziqin, Madam Yuan's expression visibly stiffened, and she sighed softly: "Ziqin has served me so diligently for so many years. I had planned to find her a good family this year, which would be a way to fulfill our bond as master and servant. But I never expected... I guess it's just that she's unlucky and has little fortune!"
Song Xiaohua also pretended to sigh, then laughed and said, "Let's not talk about her anymore. How about this, I saw a new play a few days ago, and it was quite interesting. Since we have nothing else to do, why don't I tell my sister-in-law about it to cheer her up?"
He took a sip of tea and cleared his throat: "This play tells a story set in a large mansion, much like our Lu family. The person in charge of the household is the wife of the master's second son, known as the Second Madam. See, it sounds like it's talking about me."
Madam Yuan smiled and replied, "Indeed, what a coincidence."
"This second mistress is absolutely capable. She manages the whole family perfectly. Everyone speaks highly of her. Even the master, mistress, and old lady all dote on her like a treasure. Her popularity is unmatched. However, she has two flaws: she is too strong-willed and intolerant of others."
Song Xiaohua paused, took another sip of tea, glanced at Yuan Shi whose smile seemed somewhat forced, and continued, "Because she had no son of her own, she plotted to kill a woman who was already pregnant with her husband's child, just in case, which ultimately led to the couple's estrangement. She also couldn't stand to suffer the slightest loss and always wanted to win, naturally offending many people. Sister-in-law, guess what kind of end will someone like that have?"
Yuan picked up her teacup and gently blew on the tea leaves floating on the water, seemingly casually replying, "I think it's unlikely to end well."
Song Xiaohua looked at her with a half-smile and said, word by word, "Too clever by half, you've ruined your own life."
The water surface seemed to be blown by the wind, shaking violently.
"Actually, in my opinion, why be so serious about life? Not only do you make your own life tiring, but you might also drag those around you down with you. Don't you think so, sister-in-law?" Song Xiaohua leisurely straightened her sleeves. "Anyway, I, as the second mistress, will never be that second mistress in the opera. I'm very lazy, and I've never schemed or fought for power or anything like that. I don't do things that require power and profit, nor do I want to. I have no extravagant desires in this life, I just want to live a peaceful life with my husband and children. So, the heavy burden of managing the household will fall on your shoulders, sister-in-law." As she spoke, she stood up and gave a half-serious, half-joking bow to Madam Yuan: "Sister-in-law, you've gone to so much trouble."
Madam Yuan frowned slightly, then quickly reached out to support her: "Sister-in-law, what are you saying? I was planning to have you help me out after you arrived, so we could manage this huge family business together. To be honest, I really feel a bit overwhelmed!"
Taking advantage of the situation, Song Xiaohua discreetly placed something in her hand: "Sister-in-law is too modest and thinks too highly of me. I don't have that kind of ability. Sister-in-law is a busy person, so I won't bother you any longer. I should go back and feed the dog and play with the birds while waiting for Dongqing and Ling'er to come back for dinner!"
Just as I stepped out of the garden, I faintly heard a soft sound, like a teacup being smashed.
Song Xiaohua grinned, feeling great.
Yuan must have already discovered that Ziqin and her family have vanished without a trace, and is frantically searching for them. She just now very 'kindly' offered them some guidance.
The embroidered pouch was made by Ziqin herself, and it was obviously made in the last few days. Yuan Shi would definitely be able to tell at a glance from her embroidery skills.
The anecdote about Wang Xifeng was meant to tell Yuan Shi that Song Xiaohua had absolutely no intention of fighting or grabbing anything. It also clearly indicated that if one goes too far, their evil deeds will inevitably lead to their downfall, and what will ultimately cost them their lives is truly hard to say…
Lu Ziqi and Lu Ziheng lost their mother at a young age, and as the elder brother, Lu Ziheng took on the responsibility of caring for his younger brother at a young age. During this time, Lu Ziqi witnessed and remembered all the hardships and grievances Lu Ziheng endured. He always respected and deeply loved his elder brother.
Song Xiaohua was well aware of this. Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, she did not want to really fall out with the Yuan family and put the two brothers in a difficult position.
Anyway, after all this commotion, I believe the Yuan family won't be so greedy as to come looking for trouble again.
What she will have to do from now on is to occasionally join in and make a cameo appearance while watching others perform...
Author's Note: Now that I'm living in this deep, secluded mansion, surrounded by so many formidable characters, it's impossible not to cause some trouble. Besides, without a bit of chaos, life won't be peaceful from now on. Thus, this absurd domestic power struggle began, and it truly drove me crazy with pent-up emotions! *Tears streaming down my face*